


Bits and Pieces; Dribs and Drabs

by OurImpavidHeroine



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Drabble Collection, Multi, Post-Canon, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-04-02 17:17:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 66
Words: 133,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4068133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OurImpavidHeroine/pseuds/OurImpavidHeroine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just little drabbles I've got set in the same series as the rest. No rhyme or reason to them; sometimes they just come to me, sometimes people request them, sometimes they are scenes that don't make it through cuts. I'll just post them as I write them!</p><p>NOTE: As of October 2016 I have ended this particular collection. I won't delete it; however, I have moved the stories to various other drabble collections and have put them into chronological order. This will help readers sort through this mass of work without getting lost!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. NOTE: BREAKING APART THIS COLLECTION

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Keelan_666](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keelan_666/gifts), [evrybodysdarlin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/evrybodysdarlin/gifts), [FreiheitZeto](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreiheitZeto/gifts), [Marezelle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marezelle/gifts).



Hello!

This collection of stories got so big - and was completely out of order, chronologically speaking - that I decided to break it into smaller and more manageable one-shot collections. I reposted all of the fic here into those collections. I won't be deleting this collection - I want to keep all of the comments! - but I won't be updating it any longer, either. 

Going forward, all of my stories will be posted in the following collections.  You are welcome to read this collection, of course, but I have posted in all of the following collections since I stopped updating this one and you will be missing new material if you do!

 

#### 1. [The Prince and the Bodyguard](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8305367)

A drabble collection that takes place before, during and immediately after Book Four of _The Legend of Korra_ , focusing on Prince Wu and Mako. These are all happening prior to [Please Excuse My Penmanship.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3344156/chapters/7315565)

 

#### 2. [Tales of Republic City: Part One](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8305739)

Part One covers the time from [Please Excuse My Penmanship](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3344156/chapters/7315565) all the way up through [A Song Of Spring And Autumn.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4284207/chapters/9703725)

 

#### 3. [Tales of Republic City: Part Two](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8306261)

Part Two starts directly after [A Song Of Spring And Autumn](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4284207/chapters/9703725) ends and continues forward in time.

 

#### 4. [The Further Tales of Lin Beifong](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8305072)

A collection of drabbles that focus on Lin Beifong: Part of my post-series and post-canon Wuko universe.

 

#### 5. [The Tales of Zaofu](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8305990)

A collection of drabbles set in the city of Zaofu: Part of my post-series and post-canon Wuko universe.

 

#### 6. [Tales of the Northern Air Temple](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8304697)

A collection of drabbles that revolve around the rebuilding of the Northern Air Temple: Part of my post-series and post-canon Wuko universe.

 

Thanks so much for all of the hits, kudos and comments on this fic! And no worries - I have been writing more!

 


	2. A Very Brief Interlude: Reading “Sandstorms in the Desert.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set at the very end of Chapter Two of [Dear Diary or: How I Had a Second Coronation and a Dalliance with a Detective.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3350999/chapters/7332956)
> 
> Wu reads Mako excerpts from a particularly smutty romance novel.

_…He tore away her robe, elaborately embroidered chrysanthemums destroyed in one bestial gesture. Jade Blossom gasped, the verdigris orbs of her eyes widening. “Ping! You can’t! Not here! Not in the house of my father!”  
_

_“Damn your father!” Ping growled, teeth gritted in his fury. “Damn them all! You are mine!”  He seized her breasts, ignoring her desperate pleas for discretion and restraint…_

“A good punch to the eye would take care of that.”

“You’re interrupting again!”

“I’m just saying. Or a kick to the balls. Very effective.”

“Mako, she doesn’t want to kick him in the balls. If she does that she won’t be getting any illicit sex in her father’s house tonight.”

“Damn straight she won’t. It hurts.”

“How do you know?”

“Been on the receiving end a few times.”

“From a  _woman_?”

“Korra got me once. Not on purpose, I was teaching her one of my bending moves and she zigged where I zagged. Let’s just say I spent a good part of the next half hour on the floor and walked funny for the next day or so.”

“Oh, poor little abused manly bits.”

“ _Little?_ ”

“Figure of speech. In no way meant to impugn the honor or indeed the girth of your very ample manhood.”

“I think you hurt my manhood’s feelings. Maybe you should kiss my manhood and make it feel better.”

“Oh, really now.”

“It would be the polite thing to do.”

“Uh huh.”

_…Jade Blossom turned her eyes to the moonlight, her soft gasps overcoming her desperate need to keep their love hidden from prying ears and eyes. With yet another savage rendering of her gown it slid off of her silken shoulders, fluttering to the ground. She stood nude before him. “No…” she murmured weakly. “We mustn’t…”_

_“I will have you now!” roared Ping, holding her with one arm as he tore away his own robes…._

“Pretty coordinated guys, these sandbenders.”

“Shush! We’re getting to the sex part!”

“Yeah, but what about her underwear? Doesn’t she wear underwear? Or did Ping yank it off as well during the savage rendering? Can sandbenders bend away underwear? The text doesn’t tell us! It makes no sense.”

“Mako! No one cares about her underwear! They just want to get to the smut!”

“Then why not just write the smut and forget the story?”

“Do you want me to read this to you or not? Otherwise I am just going to read it to myself.”

“No, no, sorry. Carry on. With the underwear-free smut.”

“ _Thank_  you.”

_…as he tore away his own robes. His turgid organ sprang free…_

“Turgid organ! Hmmm. You know, I might have a turgid organ. You should probably check and see.”

_…and Jade Blossom moaned. “Do as you must, Ping, for you know I can never resist you, even in the sanctity of my father’s home.” She trembled with desire in his forceful arms, so different from the weak limbs of the dissolute noble boys who had attempted to woo her in the past…_

“I don’t know, there’s something to be said for the weak limbs of dissolute noble boys.”

“Thanks very much.”

_…She shuddered to think of what her life would have been like if she had not run away, if she had stayed to be married to the aged Lord Shanwei. It would have been his trembling, age-spotted hands plucking feebly at her breasts instead of the pads of Ping’s sand-scoured fingers delving into her deepest caverns, readying her for…_

“Deepest caverns! Do women actually find that complementary?”

_…the invasion of his throbbing member. He threw her to her bed, the bed she had slept in as a girl, groaning with lust, and she closed her eyes against his sweet assault as he breached her innermost secrets._

_“Jade Blossom! My love,” he cried, vulnerable as he sheathed himself into her, and she cried out with desire._

_“Take me! Leave nothing left of me!” she moaned, but he stopped._

_“I do not wish to hurt you,” he said, caressing her face._

_“Yes!” she cried, overcome with longing. “It has been so long, all of these months without you! Now is not the time to be gentle, my beloved! Now is the time to make me yours! Hurt me, if you must! Take the pain of our separation from my mind!”_

_He thrust into her as she arched her back…_

“What are you doing? Mako, I can’t…if you do that, I can’t read…I…Mako!”

“Just trying to take the pain of our own separation out of your mind. Go on, keep reading.”

“Well, I…”

“Keep reading, Wu.”

_…as she arched her back, and he couldn’t be gentle, not when he thought of all of those months he spent alone in the desert, alone without her, with nothing but the stars to remind him of her…_

“Mako!”

“Keep reading.”

_…and so again and again he speared pleasure into her…_

“Oh!”

. _..speared pleasure into her as she…_

“I can’t…I’m not…”

“What’s the matter, dissolute noble boy, can’t multi-task?”

“No, not when you are…Mako, I can’t…”

“Fine. Put the book on the table, Wu.”

“Aren’t we going to finish the chapter…oh!”

“We can either finish the chapter or I can finish this, your choice…ah, good choice there, dissolute noble boy. Now where were we? Turgid organ? Spear of pleasure?”

“ _Mako!_ ”


	3. A Slight Prequel: What The Water Gave Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set right before Lin leaves to go up north in Chapter Six of [Bouncing Off Clouds.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3451310/chapters/7609304) This got partly written before getting cut. Now resurrected from the dead! 
> 
> Lin learns to cook. Scratch that. Lin tries to learn to cook.

"Don't just dump the spice in a clump," LoLo said, and he took a pinch of chili in his fingers. "You want to sprinkle with your fingers." He demonstrated, sprinkling the spice into the sauce in a slow spiral. "It makes it much easier to stir into the sauce. You want to make sure all of the spice gets evenly distributed."

"It's a lost cause at this point," said Lin, staring at the wad of spice that she'd dropped into the pot. It was very slowly sinking into the bubbling mass. "Can't teach an old goat gorilla new tricks."

LoLo snorted at her and then smiled down at Meili, standing on a chair in front of the stove. "Okay, Blue Eyes, your turn. Show me how you sprinkle."

Meili solemnly took a pinch of chili and very carefully scattered it in a wobbly corkscrew. 

"That's my girl! Now give it a good stir. Gently! You don't want to send it flying out of the pot like your sister does." LoLo handed Meili a wooden spoon and she stirred the sauce slowly, the tip of her tongue poking out of her mouth with concentration. "Don't be afraid to get all the way to the bottom of the pot and stir what's there up to the top. That makes sure everything's getting equal cooking heat and won't burn. Yes, that's the way, sweetheart. Now let Lin try."

Meili handed Lin the spoon. Lin looked at it dubiously.

"It won't bite you, old girl. Come on, if the three year old can do it, you can do it, too." That earned LoLo a patented Beifong Glare.

"I fail to see the point of me learning to do this," Lin muttered as she stirred.

"Cooking is a useful life skill that everyone should know how to do. Do you want to do nothing but eat here or at Chin's for the rest of your life?" 

"Yes!"

LoLo just laughed at her and pointed at the pot. "Make yourself useful and stir, woman."

"I don't see you trying to teach Wu how to cook," Lin grumbled. She leaned over to sniff at the sauce as she continued to stir.

"Papa's a bad cook," said Meili matter-of-factly. "It tastes bad. Only Daddy eats it."

"Well, I'll lay yuan your Daddy has eaten worse than what your Papa makes. You be glad you have a nice home and LoLo to cook for you," said Lin. LoLo put his hand over hers and demonstrated how to turn and stir the sauce at the same time.

"I'm glad," said Meili. LoLo gave her a wink, which got him a smile back.

Lin kept stirring and sighed. "I don't know, LoLo. Suppose this Po person isn't actually related to me?"

LoLo took his hand off of hers to pat her on her shoulder. "Then you've had a nice trip up north, gotten to see a little scenery. But that's not really what you're worried about, is it? I know you, you're more afraid that he _will_ be your family and will find you lacking somehow."

"Damn know it all." Lin attacked the sauce with the spoon.

LoLo leaned over to kiss her on her cheek. "I know you're worried, honey. Just be yourself. We love you just the way you are, isn't that right, Blue Eyes? Even if you can't cook." He tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"I love you," said Meili, and she reached from her chair to wrap her arms around Lin's waist. "You're my best Lin. Don't be scared."

Lin crouched down to Meili's eye-level. "And you are my best Meili, even if you are a better cook than me." She smiled and then straightened back up, accidentally upsetting the spoon still in the pot as she moved. A glob of scalding hot sauce launched out of the pot to land on her fingers. "Ah! Shit!" She dropped the spoon and yanked her fingers away. "Shit!" She shook her hand furiously, trying to dislodge the sauce.

"Oh, first casualty of the day! Let me see that," said LoLo, grabbing for her hand. "Hold still!" He looked at her fingers and winced. "Got yourself good with that one. Let's rinse them off and get some ice on them, I'm afraid they're going to blister."

"Shit! See, this is why I don't want to learn to cook! Damn it!" LoLo led her to the sink and turned it on.

"Rinse it in the cold water, let me fetch some ice. No, leave it under the water, Lin!" LoLo opened up the icebox and then cursed. "Where's the ice?"

"Zhi took it," Meili said. "To the backyard. To melt it."

"Oh, damn that boy!" LoLo frowned. "Well, keep it under the cold water. I wonder if I could go beg some ice off of the neighbors."

"It doesn't matter," Lin said. "It's not that big a deal, just surprised me, that's all. I've had worse than a few blisters in my day." She frowned down at her hand. "Clumsy of me."

"Everyone burns themselves in the kitchen. Rite of passage. I still wish we had some ice, though. How many times have I told that boy to keep out of my things in here!"

Meili crawled off of her chair and walked up to Lin. "It hurts?"

"It's okay, Little Fish. Don't worry about it." Lin smiled down at her. 

Meili frowned up at LoLo. "Lin needs ice?"

LoLo ruffled her curls. "Never mind, sweetheart. We'll figure it out." He peered at Lin's hand under the running water. "Maybe I should go next door, though. Here, let me take a quick look." He took Lin's hand gently into his and pulled it away from the water as they both examined it. "Yeah, I better run next door. Better safe than sorry."

"Here's ice," said Meili, and she held out her hands, filled with a chunk of ice. "I can help."

Lin and LoLo stared at her.

"Meili, baby, where did you get that?" Lin asked. She glanced at LoLo, eyes wide.

"You need it. I helped." Meili thrust the ice out towards Lin. LoLo took the ice from her.

"Thank you, Blue Eyes." He motioned Lin to the table. "Sit down, Lin." Still keeping an eye on Meili, he grabbed a clean kitchen towel and wrapped the ice in it. "Put this on your fingers," he said. Lin sat down obediently and put the ice on her hand.

LoLo motioned to Meili.  "Honey, can you do that again? Can you make ice for me?"

Meili nodded and put her cupped hands into the sink, under the still flowing water. When she pulled them back out there was another chunk of ice. "I'm helping!"

LoLo scooped her up with one arm, settling her on his hip. He beamed at her. "You sure are helping! Did you just learn how to do that now? Can you make the water do other things?"

Meili nodded. She looked at the ice in her hands and it went liquid, drenching her and LoLo both. LoLo laughed.

"Thattagirl! What else?"

Meili leaned forward and frowned slightly at the water still coming out of the spigot in the sink. She put her hands out and the water jerked and stuttered up from the stream, raising in the air to come into her hands. She cupped her hands to catch it. "Water wants to come."

"Meili, how long have you been able to do that?" Lin raised an eyebrow at her.

Meili shrugged. "Water is coming when water is coming." She frowned a little and tried to send the water back to the sink. It moved through the air, wavered a bit, and then splashed to the floor.

"That's a very philosophical way of looking at it, Blue Eyes." LoLo laughed. He looked back at Lin. "It's not like it was unexpected or anything. Not with her background."

Lin shook her head. "I suppose not. Well. There's nobody in this house who can show her anything. I guess we'll have to call around and find someone. I'll ask Korra, she can steer me in the right direction."

"It's okay, Lin? It's okay? Nobody's mad?" Meili's lower lip wobbled a little and her eyes filled up with tears. Lin motioned at her and LoLo brought her over, depositing her in Lin's lap. 

"Of course it's okay, Little Fish. Nobody's mad at you. You're a waterbender. That means you can make water do what LoLo and your Daddy and Naoki do with fire. And what I do with earth and metal."

"But not Papa? Or Zhi?"

LoLo turned off the spigot. "Not everyone's a bender, Blue Eyes. Some people are, some aren't. It's something you are born with. You can't make yourself be a bender. You can't make yourself stop being a bender, either."

"Is Papa sad? Is Zhi?"

Lin smoothed down her curls with her free hand. "What, that they aren't benders? I don't think your Papa is sad. He has plenty of other things going on in his life, I don't think being a non-bender bothers him. I don't know about Zhi, though."

LoLo sat down in the chair next to them. "Ah, so that's it, then? You didn't want to show off your bending because you were afraid it would make Papa and Zhi sad?"

Meili nodded.

"Meili honey, you have to be who you are. Sometimes that might make other people feel bad or sad, but that's not your fault. Being a waterbender isn't you being mean, do you understand? It's a part of who you are, just like having blue eyes and dark skin." LoLo leaned forward to gently boop her on her nose with his finger. "You haven't done anything wrong. And besides, you helped Lin with your bending, didn't you!"

"It's feeling better?" Meili turned to look at Lin's hand, swathed in the kitchen towel. "Not hurting?"

"It feels much better. Thank you. You really helped me." 

Meili smiled happily. "I'm helping." Suddenly she wrinkled her nose. "That smells bad."

"Shit!" LoLo jumped up and yanked the pot off the flame. "Well. So much for that, then." With a grimace he turned off the stove and dumped the pot into the sink. "There, you see? Even the best cooks burn things occasionally. I'm not going to bother starting a new sauce, I'll just order take-out from Chin's and call it a day. Qi can go and pick it up. Meili, sweetheart, can you go and fetch Qi for me?" 

"Okay!" Meili wiggled down from Lin's lap and ran out the side door towards the garage.

LoLo walked over to a corner cabinet and took out a mop, running it quickly over the mess on the floor. "I can see we'll be needing this a lot more in the near future." He laughed. "Well, if I'd wanted a calm and orderly life I picked the wrong household for it." He wrung the mop out and put it back in the cabinet. "Here, let me take a look at that hand again," LoLo said, and Lin obediently gave it to him. He turned her fingers to and fro gently, examining them. "Good thing we had that ice, I think we've escaped blisters, at least. Put the ice back on."

"Well, at least she won't burn anything down, right?" Lin wrapped the towel back around her hand.

LoLo snorted. "One small blessing. Think she'll make a healer?" He stared down at Lin's hand and tucked the edges of the towel neatly around her palm. 

"I suppose she might. She's always doctoring all of those dolls of hers. I'll call Korra after lunch, she can come over, talk to her. Try her out a little. Spirits know how long she's been bending without telling anyone."

LoLo shook his head. "No way of knowing. Be glad to see her get some training, though." He leaned down to kiss Lin. "Keep that ice on, woman, while I call Chin's. Any special requests?"

"Nope. Just the usual for me." 

LoLo nodded and walked towards the living room, where the phone was located. Lin took the chunk of ice out of the towel and looked at it critically. It hadn't melted at all. Suddenly she smiled. "I'll write to Kya, too," she murmured to herself, and put the still solid ice back on her fingers.


	4. A Modest Enhancement: Like A Bird In Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in the middle of Chapter One of [Ten Years After The Fall.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3699647/chapters/8189771)
> 
> Ikki, Huan and Blueberry Spicehead leave Zaofu together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something I wrote for Keelan, who doesn't like flying either.

“You just climb aboard her. Just grab ahold of her and pull yourself up, you won’t hurt her, don’t worry.” Ikki demonstrated, grabbing a handful of Blueberry Spicehead’s coarse fur, jabbing her toes into the air bison’s side and grasping tightly at her pelt, hauling herself up.

Blue looked supremely uninterested in this assault on her flank.

“Or I can just bend you up, give you a little boost.” At Huan’s sharp look, Ikki dropped down to the ground and put her hands up. “I do it for my mother all the time, I won’t drop you, I swear.”

Huan crossed his hands over his chest, his packs on the ground in front of him. He stared at the ground, face turning impassive once again.

“This isn’t your first time on an air bison, right? I know you’ve been up on Juicy.”

He jerked his chin in an approximation of a nod.

“Well, everything went okay with that, right? How did you get up on Juicy?”

“Grandma bent Dad and me into the saddle,” mumbled Huan, still staring at the ground.

“Oh, of course! You could easily bend yourself up, silly of me. I’m not used to dealing with earthbenders, Bolin was usually the only one around. Well, and Korra, of course. Now that I think of it, Bolin usually just gave himself a little boost off of the ground when he wanted to get aboard Oogi.” Ikki grabbed the first of his packs and tossed it up into the air, a flick of her fingers curving it slightly into Blue’s saddle.

Huan watched the trajectory of his pack and gritted his teeth. Ikki stopped in mid-reach for the next bag.

“Oh Spirits, Huan, I should have asked! There wasn’t anything breakable in that, was there?” Ikki looked anxiously up towards the saddle.

Huan shook his head. “Nothing breakable.” He dropped his gaze back down at the wild grass, already brown with autumn’s accession. They stood there for a moment, both of them silent. Blue yawned hugely, whuffling a faintly hot and moist breath that teased at the ends of Huan’s hair.

“I’m…I don’t really know what to say,” Ikki said, frowning. “Is it that you’ve changed your mind? You don’t want to go? If that’s the case, please just tell me.”

Huan shook his head, eyes still on the ground. “I want to go.”

“Oooooookay? Then the hold up is…?” Ikki looked past him at Zaofu, the city’s restored lotus petals still closed and gleaming in the rose-gold light of dawn. They were perhaps a mile or so outside the city limits. She wasn’t sure how Huan had managed to sneak out to the meadow where he had told her to meet him. “We aren’t doing anything illegal, you know. You were the one who said you wanted to meet out here instead of at the airfield.”

“I don’t want my mother showing up and making a scene,” he said, digging his toe into the dirt. “Because she would. And it makes me uncomfortable.”

“Well, why do you think I left in the night? My father would have pitched a fit. He probably would have woken your mother up with it all the way down here.”

Huan smiled, just slightly. “Happy birthday, by the way.” He risked a glance up at her through his hair.

“Well, thank you,” she said, and grinned, bowing. “I’m ever so mature now.”

“I don’t like flying,” he responded, eyes sliding away from her. “I don’t like being in the air. My feet…” here he struggled, and his hands slid loose of their death grip on his ribs to move in front of him in the way that Ikki, after all the years of talking to him in the Spirit World, recognized as his way of grasping at the words that so often eluded him, “…need to feel rock because otherwise my head says unsafe unsafe and then I start to feel…” his hands fluttered against his belly, and he grimaced.

“You get sick? You mean you get motion sickness?”

He nodded. “Also, the fear makes my breathing stop start stop start stop.”

Ikki thought about this for a moment. “So it’s both things? You’re afraid of flying and you get motion sickness?”

He nodded miserably.

“Hmmm,” she said, and she rocked back and forth on her toes, the hood of the light poncho she was wearing slipping down to reveal the vivid blue of the brand new tattoo on her nearly bald scalp. “Does anything help the sickness?”

“Sour things,” he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a striped muslin bag. “Sour plum balls. My mother used to give them to me.”

Ikki wrinkled up her nose. “Ugh, I can’t stand those things. Candy my ass, candy is supposed to be sweet, not shrivel your tongue off. But they help your stomach?”

“Yes.”

“Well we can get more of those as we go. And Huan, if you start to feel sick just tell me and we can land until your stomach feels better. I mean, we’re not in a hurry, right? We don’t have anywhere to be, we’re not on any kind of schedule. Blue can land, you can sit on the ground for awhile, let your stomach ease up. Would that help?”

He glanced at her, making eye contact, and smiled; an electrifying grin that showed actual teeth. A rarity for Huan. “Yes. That would help.”

She smiled back. “Okay, then. I don’t know what to say about the fear, though. Are you afraid you will fall out of the saddle? You’re the metalbender, you can secure yourself with a cable if you are that nervous, right?”

“Yes.”

“But I know that probably won’t help much either. Fear doesn’t really work that way, does it? Me, I’m afraid of closed-in spaces. Like caves?” She shuddered. “Hate them. The rock will fall on my head and crush me. That’s what it feels like, every single second.”

“I would  _never_  let a rock fall on your head.” His tone was fiercer than she had ever heard it.

Ikki tilted her chin up at him. “And I would never let the wind snatch you away from me.  _Never_.” She brought her hands up and gathered wind in between them. “Blue would never let you fall, either. Never. Isn’t that right, Blue? We’d never let Huan fall.” She balanced a gentle breeze in her hands and then sent it, as delicate as feathers, to brush along his cheek. His eyes closed.

Blue groaned out her agreement and leaned forward to snuffle at Huan’s head. His eyes flew open and he froze as she sniffed him all over. Once she’d taken his measure - which included another whuff of breath that caused him to wrinkle his entire face and slam his eyes shut - she settled back, huffing.

“There now. Safe as houses. Blue is, naturally, the best air bison in the entire world. Think, Huan, she waited for me for years until I was able to go back and get her, from the time she was a calf. If that’s not a steady girl, then I don’t know who is.” Ikki leaned over to thump her affectionately. “Would you like to learn how to fly her?”

Huan blinked. “You mean with my hands?” He held them out, bag of sour plum balls still clutched in his fingers.

Ikki grinned. “With your two very talented hands. Sure! Why not? Nothing saying you couldn’t. Besides, it would be a good thing if you learned. That way if I need to take a break you can take over.”

Huan stepped backwards so that he could look straight at Blue. “May I learn to fly you?” he asked gravely.

Blueberry bellowed and thrust herself forward to nudge him with her nose, causing him to stagger backwards in order to keep himself upright.

“That’s an air bison yes, in case you were wondering.” Ikki was grinning. “She likes you. I’m not just saying that, either. It’s not everyone that will ask an air bison’s permission. They are far more intelligent than people realize.”

Blueberry huffed her agreement.

“Okay. We can go up now,” he said, and the earth moved effortlessly upwards, easily depositing him and the two remaining bags into the saddle. The outcropping smoothed itself down the moment he stepped off of it. Ikki launched herself into the saddle and showed him how to secure his packs with the ropes that were already around her own packs along the back of the saddle. Huan sat down and slid his boots off, revealing bare feet. Ikki raised an eyebrow.

“Need to feel,” he explained, pressing his feet into the leather of the saddle, and she nodded. He secured his boots as well. She was afraid his feet would get cold, but she supposed he was a big boy; he’d put his boots back on if he wanted to. 

“Works for me.” She lightly jumped over the edge of the saddle to drift gently into the curve of Blue’s neck where the reins were waiting. A moment later she felt him settle behind her, and she half-turned in surprise.

“Am I too heavy?”

“What, for Blueberry? Not on your life.” She grinned. “Did you want to learn how to steer now?”

He shook his head. “Not yet. But it’s better here. Safer.” He frowned. “Can I stay? Will it be a bother?”

She reached back and shoved at his legs, moving him until his legs curved around hers, his chest nearly touching her back. His bare feet dangled out past her own feet, covered with the boots of her wingsuit. “Just hold on to me if you need to, okay? And uh, just as a suggestion, I’d braid that hair back. You don’t want to deal with the tangles later, trust me.”

He said nothing but shoved the bag of candy back into his pocket, quickly braiding his hair back tightly, securing it with a bit of metal that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Once he had finished she nodded, turning back around to take the reins into her hands. “Yip yip, Blue!” she called, slapping her with the reins. Blue responded with a joyful grunt and launched herself smoothly into the air. Huan clutched at her waist, burying his head into her shoulder. “You okay?” She asked, and felt his nod. “Just let me know when we need to stop and we’ll stop. Just whenever.”

“Goodbye, Zaofu,” he murmured into her ear as the city grew smaller beneath them, and the wind picked up. Her hood was still down around her neck and she shivered her delight in feeling the air across her scalp.

“Hello, world,” she shouted into the sky, and felt his hands tighten around her waist in response.


	5. Apropos Of Nothing: Rumors Abound In Ba Sing Se

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something silly that came out of a [tumblr conversation.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/post/124835330731/dai-li-strippers-do-have-earth-kingdom-symbols) Thanks to dai-li-sargeant and vyanni-krace-666 for playing along!
> 
> What the Dai Li do on their nights off.

It was late by the time Mako got home, and he was worn out. Too keyed up to sleep, but he wanted to do nothing more than take a hot shower and maybe have a finger or two of whiskey. He assumed everyone would already be asleep, but he could see a single dim light burning upstairs in their bedroom window, behind the curtains. Wu must be awake, then. Maybe up with the baby. He parked the car in the garage and slid his shoes off before he tiptoed into the kitchen entrance. He didn't want to wake LoLo.

Wu was up, pacing the bedroom floor, half-asleep and swaying automatically, Zhi held up to his shoulder. He smiled as Mako crept into the bedroom and put his finger to his lips. Mako pointed towards the bathroom and Wu nodded. He gave a kiss to Wu's temple as he passed by and glanced down at the baby; he looked to be sleeping, but Zhi was tricky that way. Just when you thought it was safe to lay him down his eyes would pop open and then you'd have to start the whole jiggle-sway routine from the get-go. Always better to be safe than sorry with Zhi. Naoki, on the other hand, could sleep through a triad war going on over her head. Nothing woke that child up.

He got into the shower and turned the hot water up as high as he could stand it, breathing out a little sigh. He smelled like the cheap perfume that one of the women had been wearing; something overly sweet and cloying with a metallic undertaste. Nasty stuff. She'd kept trying to sit in his lap, putting her arms around him sloppily and making kissing noises in his ear. He'd finally appealed to his partner, Chiyo, to get her off of him. Chiyo rolled her eyes, but she'd firmly escorted Miss Yum-Yum away for questioning. Miss Yum-Yum. You'd think that if someone was going to take on a stripper name they'd think of something slightly more inspiring than Miss Yum-Yum. Like Miss Sugar Queen, maybe. No, that wasn't any good either. Jade Blossom? No wait, that was the name of the girl in those sandbender romances Wu liked so much. What about -

"You know, some men might get a little jealous if their husbands showed up at home with red lipstick on their collars."

Mako jumped. Damn, but Wu was sneaky. He hadn't even heard him come in.

"Shit, do you think they can get it out at the laundry?" He poked his head out of the shower to see Wu grinning at him, holding his shirt and raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, I'm certain your collar wouldn't be the first to arrive thus soiled." 

Mako snorted at this. "Did the baby go down?"

Wu sighed. "Well, let's hope so. I swear that child wakes himself up on purpose. It's like he can't stand to sleep and miss out on anything." He yawned.

"Give me a sec, let me rinse the soap off." He rinsed himself, turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist before noticing that Wu had left him a glass with exactly two fingers of whiskey in it. Bless the man. He swallowed it down before brushing his teeth and going back into the bedroom. Wu was in bed, propped up on the pillows, reading his novel. He glanced up as Mako walked in, took a bookmark from off of his nightstand and placed it inside the book before putting the book down. "Thank you for using a bookmark."

"You're welcome. Rough night?"

Mako stretched, his spine popping, and then tugged on a pair of clean shorts before sliding into bed. "Agni Kai hit a strip joint."

Wu covered up his laughter with his hand. "That would explain that particularly garish shade of red."

Mako rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me. Compliments of Miss Yum-Yum, who kept trying to give me a lap dance. Which, contrary to popular belief, I did _not_ want."

"Miss Yum-Yum? Oh come now, she could have done better than that. Mochi Delight, if she wanted to stick with the edible theme. Succulent Dumpling, perhaps."

" _You'd_ be Succulent Dumpling."

"I _am_ a succulent dumpling, and don't you forget it. You've already got a stripper name, Officer Hotpants."

"Call me that to my face!"

Wu tilted his head over to kiss him, mumbling, "Officer Hotpants," against his lips. Mako laughed and leaned over him to shut the lamp off, settling down onto his pillow, Wu's head resting on his chest. The room was dimly lit by moonlight and he could just make out Wu's profile in it as his eyes adjusted.

"I've never been to a strip joint, you know. Plenty of nightclubs, obviously, but never an actual premises that uses garment removal as a means of titillation."

Mako shrugged in the darkness. "Used to collect at them when I was running numbers for the Triple Threats but I wasn't actually watching the shows or anything. Well. That's not true, I watched what I could while I was waiting. But I wasn't there as a customer. Not my thing." He chuckled. "Well, I guess it was my thing when I was fifteen or so. Not my thing now."

"Rumor had it that the Dai Li had their own private strip club."

"Get the fuck out!"

"I can't attest to the veracity of the rumor, mind - I certainly wasn't allowed in the underground tunnels under the palace or anything - but it was one of those commonly accepted kind of things."

Mako carded his fingers through Wu's hair. "Someone gossiped about that to _you_?"

"Don't be daft, Mako, of course they didn't. My great-aunt would have had their heads. I listened in at keyholes and hid behind tapestries, that kind of thing. You get all the best gossip that way."

"Little sneak. So. A Dai Li strip club, huh?"

"Well, you've been to part of the underground city, right?"

"Not to see a show, that's for damn sure."

That got a little huff of laughter from Wu. "Who knows what all they had down there. I shudder to think, really. I do know they trained there and that's where their barracks were, that wasn't a secret or anything. Everyone knew. But other than that, your guess is as good as mine."

"I can tell you they had a prison."

"Ooh, my very own nefarious hoodlum!" That got him a tug on his hair for his trouble. "You do like to try out local prisons, don't you?"

"Don't remind me. So. Strip club, hmm? I wonder what kind of stripper names they had?"

"I'd wager they were all virile rock sorts of names. Mr. Granite. The Boulder. Master Fist."

Mako was shaking with laughter. "I was thinking that they had women working down there, not that the Dai Li themselves were stripping!"

"Oh please, those Dai Li. I know for a fact Wei Beifong went through half of them in one fell swoop. I certainly never heard of any women down there!"

"Sexist pigs."

"Among other things. Although look at the Kyoshis, they're only women. And frankly, I'd go with Yumi over a Dai Li any day."

"That makes two of us. So. Stripper Dai Li agents. Do you suppose they kept their hats on while they were stripping?"

"Naturally. And they had little uniform Dai Li g-strings, complete with the Earth Kingdom symbol covering up their little Dai Li's. Oh! And pasties that looked just like their hats! With matching tassels! If they were really good they could swirl the tassels in circles! Think of the training possibilities!" Wu sat up and moved his fingers around in circles in front of his own pajama-clad nipples to demonstrate.

Mako was really laughing now. "Did they gave each other tips?"

"Why do you think they invented those flying rock fists? Cram a few yuan in it, send it soaring! What's a few bruises and broken ribs for a good tip?"

"Well, damn! There were no yuan in the rock fists that hit me!"

"Should have taken your clothes off first. You probably would have collected quite the payload."

Mako wrapped his arms around him and pulled him back down to his own pillow. "Anybody ever tell you that you have quite the imagination?"

"A time or two." Wu's face nearly creased itself in half with a yawn, which triggered Mako into his own yawn. "Oh spirits, I'm tired."

Mako kissed him. "Go to sleep, then. Dream of Dai Li swirling their tassels."

"Rather dream of you," mumbled Wu, already sliding into sleep.

Dai Li pasties with tassels. Oh, Wu. Mako smiled to himself as he closed his own eyes and held his husband close.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was illustrated for me by [The Dai Li Sargeant](http://dai-li-sergeant.tumblr.com/) (AKA Master Fist) himself.
> 
> I AM DYING.


	6. A Sensual Idyll: A Night In The Cottage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during Nuo's first visit to Zaofu in Chapter Four of [Ten Years After The Fall.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3699647/chapters/8593576)
> 
> A lost game of power disc leads to a night together. 
> 
> Cut because it brought the story to a screeching halt but put back here because I really enjoyed writing it!

In the next few days Wing took Nuo all over Zaofu. The city's famous lotus petals were still under repair but otherwise there were no longer any signs of Kuvira's occupation. He showed her his old school, introduced her to practically everyone they met, pointed out interesting landmarks. She asked him about the huge power disc area that was still at the Beifong compound and he tracked down Wei and asked him to play a pickup game. Wei seemed so genuinely happy to be asked that Wing felt bad. He'd been neglecting Wei lately, for sure. By the time they got down to the playing field there was a bit of a crowd watching them. Both Mom and Dad were there, Wu was sitting with Huan, Yumi and Nuo and even Chef and scattering of other people had shown up.

Mom quickly went over the basics of the rules for Nuo while Wei and Wing warmed up and then they started. Damn, but Wing was out of shape; he still trained, of course, but not like Wei had been doing. Wei was going to wipe the ground with him. The disc flew hard and fast, ricocheting off the center columns and sending off sparks. Wei scored first and Wing could hear cheering while he cursed at his brother amicably. Wei put his hand to his face dramatically and gasped in mock dismay at Wing's trashmouth and he had to laugh. They went back into it, disc humming as it slammed around the playing field. Wei nearly scored but Wing managed to kick the disc away at the very last second. Back and forth the disc volleyed, metal ringing.

Wing saw a flash of an opening and took advantage of it, sending the disc into Wei's unprotected net.

"Lucky shot," shouted Wei, throwing his hands into the air.

"Bring it," taunted Wing, grinning.

Back and forth they went, Wei holding back so as not to annihilate Wing in front of his girlfriend (thank you, Wei), until Mom blew the whistle. "Drink some water and take a breather," she called.

"MOOOOOOM," they whined simultaneously, never mind the fact that they were both technically adults. They jogged up to the bleachers where everyone was sitting to take the water Mom was waving at them. Wing drank deeply and wiped the sweat out of his eyes. 

"Here," said Nuo, untying a decorative floral sash from her robe and tying it twice around his forehead. She took his face in her hands and kissed him. "Kick his ass," she said primly, and Wing kissed her back, leaping several meters from the bleachers back down into the playing field, laughing exuberantly.

"Nice headband," Wei said, grinning, disc held in his hands.

"Isn't it, though?" Wing said, and sent the disc flying. Wei ended up winning the game but Wing found he didn't even care when he saw how Nuo's great dark eyes were shining. He sat down next to her on the bleachers to drink some more water and she ran a hand slowly across the coiled bare muscle of his arm.

"I lost," he said, with a rueful grin.

She looked up at him and smiled, very slowly, leaning closer. "Get me somewhere private and you'll win, I promise." He grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him, not even saying goodbye to everyone else still congratulating Wei on his win.

Huan's atelier was private enough to pull her into his lap and kiss her until they were both breathless. It was only because he couldn't bear the thought of going any further with her outside instead of inside with a bed that he finally put her down and told her, taking deep breaths, that he needed to go and get cleaned up. Nuo was flushed and her eyes were narrowed. She looked like she was hungry and Wing was a big slab of poppy seed cake.

"You do that," she said and brushed a hand across his nipple, making him lurch. "I'll see you at dinner." She walked out without looking back.

He took a long shower to clean up. It was not a hot shower.

He wasn't sure how he made it through dinner but he did. He made it through dessert. He made it through Mom showing Nuo an entire album full of embarrassing photos from his childhood (was it really necessary to show her the snapshot of he and Wei happily making sock puppets out of their three-year-old penises? Was it  _really_?). He made it through the nice drive in the jeep through the countryside around the city while his parents gave the grand tour. He made it through a polite goodnight in front of Wu and Yumi and everyone as Nuo headed out to their guest house for bed.

He walked into the bedroom he shared with Wei and threw himself onto his bed. Wei came out of the bathroom, toothbrush in his mouth, shaking his head, foam flying from his lips.

"Sad," he opined, and Wing threw a pillow at him. Wei snickered and went back into the bathroom. Wing was strongly debating whether or not he should fetch his pillow off of the floor or just lay there with his neck in unsupported misery when there was a rattle at the window. He hopped up to look out of it as Wei came back from the bathroom.

It was Nuo, fists on her hips. When she saw him move aside the curtain and look out she raised one eyebrow and motioned to him to come out. Wei stuck his head around the curtain on the other side of the window and cheerfully waved at her. She rolled her eyes and waved back.

Wei pulled his head back into the room. "Grandma's guest cottage."

"What?" Wing looked back at him.

"Grandma's guest cottage. It's empty, it's on the far side of the compound, you know how pissed off Grandma used to get if anyone bothered her. No one over here will hear anything or see any of the lights as long as you keep the curtains closed. No one ever goes over there anyhow. It's unlocked and Mom keeps the bed made. There are clean sheets in the hall closet, you can just make the bed in the morning and bring the other sheets back here to be washed and replace them later, no one will ever know the difference."

Wing stared at him.

Wei shrugged and looked as innocent as he was able. "What?" He swung the window open and unhooked the screen. "Hey, Nuo," he whispered.

"This isn't awkward or anything," Nuo whispered back, glaring.

"Oh, for the love of Raava!" hissed Wing, and climbed out the window.

"You two adorable kids have fun now," whispered Wei, and he grinned when Nuo shot him a sign with her fingers that she most certainly did not learn at the very exclusive Black Jade Academy for Young Ladies. He latched the screen and shut the window behind him.

"Come on," Wing whispered, and he took her hand and led her across the compound to Grandma's cottage, tucked behind some trees past Huan's atelier. Wei was right, it was unlocked and the bed was made. It wasn't that he really had to sneak around; his parents certainly wouldn't care and they were both adults, after all. But Wing just didn't want everyone in their business.

He turned and looked at Nuo - really looked at her - for the first time. She was wearing some sort of robe in a pale blue that tied around her waist but still clung in very distracting places. Her hair was down and loosely braided and he wanted nothing more than to plunge his hands into the mass of it. He could feel the shyness coming on and he cursed himself. Soundly cursed himself. If he was Wei they'd already have their clothes off and Raava knows what else.

"So," said Nuo.

"So," he said, and felt his cheeks heating up. Damn it anyhow. "Um. We don't have to...uh..." He gestured around. "I mean, if you just wanted to talk or something..."

Nuo looked at him, saying nothing. Then, very deliberately, she untied the sash to her robe and slipped it off. Underneath she was wearing a matching gown which left very little to the imagination. Wing's mouth went so dry that his throat made an audible click when he tried to swallow.

"Neither one of us has done this before," said Nuo. For one moment Wing wondered wildly how she had known that but then realized that of  _course_  she knew. She was Nuo. She knew everything.

"Uh..." he replied.

"We could stand here and you could try to figure out what to say and I could get nervous and worry that I will do something wrong but we'd be wasting a lot of time if we did that." Nuo did something he couldn't quite catch with her shoulders and arms and suddenly her gown was sliding down her body to puddle onto the floor. She stood there in front of him, nude. She was breathtaking and by that he meant that he was breathless with the wonder of her, her full breasts tipped with rosy aureolas, the very generous flare of her hips and belly and his hand moved of its own volition to curl around her hip, making her hitch in her own breath. "Your turn," she said, and he immediately obliged, shoving down and kicking away his sleeping trousers and sending his top along with it.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at him. "Take me to the bed, please," she said and he took her hands and led her into the bedroom.

He had always figured that his first time would be something clumsy, rushed, a little bit embarrassing, really, especially given his prior interactions with girls he'd found attractive. This was Nuo, though, and she was utterly unashamed of how much she wanted him, which drove away his own natural shyness. He kissed her, followed her lead, asked her what she liked, took her direction exactly. Things were definitely too rushed the first time; he was disappointed in himself and tried to apologize to Nuo but she just giggled and said, "Practice makes perfect." It made everything okay again. Nuo always made everything okay. In any case, he found that with a short recovery time he could keep on practicing, and that was good too. And when he slid his hand down there, down to where her legs met and found what he was searching for he circled it with the pad of his thumb until she arched up her back and cried out, fingernails digging into his back and he sent a quick thank you skyward to Yumi, he did. 

 

He woke up at dawn, flat on his back, to find her perched atop his stomach, sitting there and looking down at him, her hair loose and spilling all over his hips and groin. (Which was very much awake as well, thank you kindly.) As far as he was concerned, he could wake up that way every single morning for the rest of his life. "So," she said, and dimpled at him.

"So," he replied. He smiled, and ran his hands lightly across the silky softness of her luscious thighs. Spirits, he loved how voluptuous she was.

"I'm thinking, we want a big family, right? I mean, you have lots of siblings and so do I - and believe it or not I actually missed my idiot brothers all those years when I was away at school. We probably shouldn't wait too long to start our family, though. We're both still young yet but even still, don't want to wait too long. Not now, of course, but after His Majesty abdicates."

He started to laugh, which made her bounce and jiggle in a most enticing way. "Nuo, we're not even married. I mean, aren't we getting ahead of ourselves?"

Nuo dismissed that with a quick flip of her hand. "Oh well, we can plan all of that later, I'm sure your mother would be happy to help. We'll do it here, of course, maybe in the spring. When all the flowers are blooming."

He continued to grin. "Here you are, planning our wedding and you haven't even told me you loved me."

Nuo stared down at him and then she leaned over, cupping her hands around his face, her breasts pressing against his chest. "I've loved you ever since you looked up at me at the coronation with that silly smear of jam on your lip."

He blinked. "But you didn't even know me then!"

She smiled, dimples appearing. "I knew everything I needed to know. Do you want me to pretend I don't know exactly what I want while we go out on dates for a few years just for the sake of polite convention or someone else's standards of what is right or wrong? Should I pretend that I don't know that you are the only man I could ever want? Or that I don't lay awake at night thinking of how it will feel to be pregnant with your child? Or grow old with you? I don't see the point in all of that. I love you. I want to marry you and live here with you and have your babies and be a part of this community. When I know what I want then I don't see the point of pretending otherwise."

He traced the tips of his fingers across her breasts. "I wish I had your confidence, Nuo." He sighed, which moved her up and back down with his breath, which was a little distracting, truth be told. "I don't mean I don't want to get married! Oh, I don't know. I guess I feel like I should know more about you, which is silly."

"What do you want to know? You can ask me anything." She kissed him on the corner of his mouth.

He resisted the urge to flip her onto her back and tried to think of a question. "Um. Well. Okay, for one, I don't even know how it was that you ended up going to that school that you did."

She sat up and leaned back a little, thinking, and he obligingly lifted up his knees from the bed so she could rest back against his thighs. She was silent for a minute or two, her eyes unfocused. She stared down at her hands when she began to speak. "You know, of course, that my family is from the Lower Ring. Or what used to be the Lower Ring, anyhow. My mother, she worked as a laundress in several Upper Ring homes and my father, he still works as a carpenter. I have five older brothers and all of them work as carpenters as well. When I was small we all lived in a two bedroom flat with my mother's parents. Life is not very good for most people from the Lower Ring, Wing. Lots of poverty. Lots of want. In any case, my mother, she used to take me with her when she'd go to work sometimes and one of the houses where my mother worked had a very large library. I'd sneak in there while my mother was washing, hide away in a window seat there in the library. There were some children's books there and I taught myself to read that way. No one else in my family ever learned, you know. They are all still illiterate. In any case, long story short, one day when I was six years old I was caught in the library by the lady of the house. Naturally she wanted to know who the little urchin in her library was; she was furious with my mother for bringing me and not keeping me away where the dirty urchins were supposed to be kept, which was most certainly _not_ in her very well-appointed library. Things would have gone very badly, I think, except that she had staying with her a house guest from Republic City. This woman was impressed by the fact that I had taught myself to read and write; she declared that I should be educated and she was willing to pay for it so long as I did well in my studies. That's how I was enrolled in the Black Jade Academy for Young Ladies. Middle Ring, you understand - well, it wouldn't do to put me too high above my station - but even so, it was a very exclusive school. Very well regarded. I was enrolled as a boarding pupil, I only went home during holidays. Well, you know how big Ba Sing Se is, the commute would have been impossible on a daily basis. My patroness made sure I always had proper uniforms as well as school supplies and gave me a small allowance so that I could get those few small things a girl might need away at school. I never knew her, though. I only saw her very briefly when I was six and she did not wish to be identified. To this day I don't know her name or anything else about her."

Wing lay there quietly, listening. He knew better than to interrupt.

"I received a very good education indeed. I have always been very grateful for it. The other girls...well. They were not very kind to me. I was mocked for my accent; I was tormented for my size. Too short; too fat. Girls can be cruel in ways that I think boys can't even comprehend. I was very unhappy indeed, but I didn't dare say anything. Even at six I knew it was my only chance to escape the kind of poverty my parents lived in. So I decided to excel at my studies. I did, too. I was first in all of my classes short of art and music and I graduated valedictorian of my class. Everyone praised me for my intelligence and even the girls who had tormented me left me alone eventually. I graduated and I had no idea what to do next. None! The girls I had gone to school with were, for the most part, either getting married or going into genteel sorts of careers, but I certainly didn't know anyone to marry and those sorts of polite and genteel careers that most of those girls went into did not appeal to me at all. I had no money, though, so I moved back to my parents' house. It was hell, quite frankly. Everyone back there mocked my upper class accent, sneered at me for getting above myself. The girlfriend of one of my brothers jumped me and tried to cut off my hair; if my youngest brother hadn't interfered I'd most likely have been shaved bald and probably beaten along with it. Thankfully my uncle stepped in and got me the job with His Majesty. I'm not sure what else I would have done without it. I was feeling quite desperate at the time."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry it was so hard for you." He wanted to take her into his arms but she wasn't finished speaking yet and so he waited. She tilted her chin up and her hands clenched into fists.

"I am very proud of what I have accomplished. None of it was easy. I had to fight for respect. I have used my intelligence to get me out of the life that I would have had, working as a laundress most likely, just like my mother and her mother before her. I know I am capable; I have made myself capable. I have made myself useful and indispensable. His Majesty has already told me that when he officially abdicates he hopes that I will join him in Republic City and stay on as his secretary. I know that if I continue down this path that my possibilities are endless. I do not need to be told any of these things. I know them to be true. I have _made_ them true. His Majesty respects me; even the Grand Secretariat respects me."

She looked Wing straight in the eyes. "Do you know why you are different than everyone else? Do you?"

He shook his head. He had no idea.

"You looked at me like I was beautiful."

He stared back at her, astonished. "But you  _are_  beautiful. Oh! I mean, obviously you are very smart and capable as well, I don't mean-"

She cut him off with a sharp gesture. "I told you, I know all of that about myself. Everyone else knows this about me as well, including you. But you, you looked at me like I was beautiful. No one ever looks at me that way. It didn't matter that you stumbled over your words and told me my eyes looked like dirt. Your mouth said that; but your eyes told me I was beautiful." Her own eyes filled up. "I shouldn't care, you know. I am independent, intelligent, resourceful, capable, respectable, clever. I am going places! I am the King's right hand! Beauty doesn't matter! It is very shallow and vain of me to even care."

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," said Wing and he sat up swiftly, wrapping his arms around her. "Nuo, I've never known anyone as beautiful as you are. I love you," he said and his eyes filled up with tears, the way they always did when he felt too much. "I really really do. I do want to marry you, too, it's just I was kind of hoping that I could do a romantic proposal or something."

"Oh well damn it all anyhow," she said, and wiped at her eyes. "I always do this, you know. Jump in ahead of everyone else and make all the plans and decisions for everyone." She sniffled. "I'm kind of pushy."

He laughed and grabbed the sheet and wiped at his own eyes before dabbing at hers. "Well, as a proper Beifong boy I'm kind of attracted to pushy women. I don't know what to tell you. Blame my father, he started it. I mean, have you _met_ my mother?"

That got a small giggle out of her. "Well, I may be pushy but I have no plans to subjugate the Earth Kingdom in the near future, so there's that."

"My family will be relieved to hear it."

"I hope at least your parents will like me," she said, and she frowned a little uncertainly. He understood what it cost her to let him see her so vulnerable and it meant a great deal to him. He smiled at her.

"Listen. Huan adores you - you know it's true, and Huan doesn't give friendship easily - and Wei likes you too, he told me so. My father likes you already and the more he knows you the more he will like you, I know him and I know he will. As far as my mother goes...well. Mom is Mom, and she's pretty protective of all of us."

Nuo nodded. "I can understand that sentiment."

"The best way to handle Mom is to just be upfront with her. She doesn't like it when people try to fool her or go behind her back."

"I think I can handle that."

He kissed her eyelids, tenderly. "I know you can. I have all faith in you." He did, too. He loved her. He did. 

"Wing?" she whispered into his ear.

"Yes?" he said, and then hitched in a quick breath as she started to push him back down to the bed.

"What does a proper Beifong boy do when a pushy woman demands that he stop talking and take care of her needs?" She ran her small hand behind her and gave him a very impertinent little tug.

"He does exactly as he's told," he replied, and wrapping his arms around her, he did just that.


	7. A Gradual Awakening: Do You Do More Than Dance?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set at the Sato Estate after Wu and Mako moved in after Kuvira's aborted kidnapping attempt in Book Four. 
> 
> Mako has to deal with his changing feelings for Wu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Evrybodysdarlin told me she wanted me to write more about Wu and Mako in the beginning of their relationship. This morning I heard Foreigner's _Hot Blooded_ on the radio and I just started writing. It happens that way sometimes.
> 
> Just for you, Darlin'!

Mako was sitting on one of Asami's overly ornate sofas, next to his Aunt LiLing.

He was _not_ in a good mood.

For one thing, he hated staying out here. His family loved it, clearly; they'd never seen anything like it, and after second cousin (maybe? Mako couldn't keep track of all that family tree shit) Wen used the swimming pool to wash her clothes in when they’d first arrived he'd broken down and spent a couple of days showing everyone around, explaining how the house worked. Because apparently he was a Spirits damned tour guide and teacher on top of everything else. They had settled right in, like they had always lived in the lap of luxury instead of the slums of the Lower Ring. None of them showed any signs of leaving and it had been three years, for the love of Raava. Asami said she was glad to have them, that she hated living in the big empty house by herself, but she was probably just saying that to be nice. Asami was too nice by half.

It hadn't helped in the slightest that Wu had eagerly jumped right into his family’s life out here, gladly helping the kids with their schoolwork and offering to help wash the dishes when Grandma made dinner. Like Wu had ever washed a dish in his life. He used cold water and no soap. Mako had snatched the plate out of his hand and shouted at him, which caused Wu to get that wounded deer dog look on his face and his Aunt LiLing to read him the riot act later that evening.

"He's trying, Mako! He doesn't need to try, you know. He could sit around all day and let your grandmother feed him bon-bons, never lift a finger, which is what everyone expects. Be patient with him. He's a good boy at heart." Aunt LiLing went on like this for a good twenty minutes. He finally made his escape when Tu dropped an entire carton of eggs on the floor and distracted her.

Right now Wu was out in the middle of the floor, showing his cousin Meng-Meng how to do one of the dances he'd learned at one of the nightclubs he liked to go to. They'd rolled the living room rug back and Wu had produced a Victrola from somewhere with a supply of jazz records. It must be Asami's; Wu hadn't had one back at the Four Elements. He and Meng-Meng were laughing wildly, Wu shimmying smoothly around her, encouraging her to shake her shoulders more. He'd even managed to get Chow Junior out there, despite Chow's protests that he couldn't dance. A few of the little kids were hopping around enthusiastically and Grandma was looking at him like he hung the moon, as usual. 

It pissed him off. Less than a month ago Wu'd been on a train heading for Kuvira. Who would have killed him, he had no doubt whatsoever. Kuvira would most likely try again, Spirits knew how safe Wu was even here, and here he was, flailing around Asami's living room like nothing was wrong. He was a fucking _target_. Didn't he understand that? Could he take _nothing_ seriously?

So Mako sat on the sofa, arms crossed over his chest. Seething.

"Lighten up, Mako," muttered his aunt, with a little jab with her elbow to his arm. Just at that moment Wu danced up, bowed gracefully at his aunt and extended his hands, his eyes sparkling, that funny little mouth of his curving up with a smile. "Oh no! I couldn't!" said his aunt, but Wu only laughed, taking her hands and pulling her gently to her feet.

"You can't fool me, Aunt LiLing! I bet you danced Uncle Chow's socks off once upon a time!" Wu waggled those eyebrows at her and his aunt giggled like a girl.

Seriously? _Seriously?_ For one thing, LiLing was _not_ Wu's aunt. For another, he couldn't believe his aunt was falling for that shit. There she was, though, mimicking Wu's steps, laughing while Tu whistled at her and Meng-Meng encouraged her to go faster. It must be nice to not have a care in the fucking world. Must be nice just to trust that someone else was going to take care of all your problems. Must be nice to just be able to fix everything with a pile of never ending yuan. Must be fucking nice to be the almighty prince of the Earth Kingdom. Mako would really not fucking know.

"Whaddya say?" sang out a voice above him, and there was Wu, cheeks flushed, holding out his hand. "Come on, Mako! I bet you can cut a rug with the best of them, huh, Buddy?"

Mako launched himself off of the sofa, causing Wu to take a stumbling step back. "You know, maybe you don't have anything better to do, but some of us actually work for a living. I'm not really sure how you expect me to keep you safe when you behave like this!"

Wu looked around the room, bewildered. "But...everything's okay. It's just your family here. I mean, I'm plenty safe, right?" He tried to put on another smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Those pretty green eyes, just exactly the soft shade of ripe olives. 

No. _No._ He was not going to think about the color of Wu's eyes. "Safe? You think Kuvira won't try again? For all I know she could have infiltrated my family, any one of them could be an Earth Empire operative!"

" _Mako!_ " his aunt said sharply, her mouth set in an angry line. "That's enough. No one here is working for Kuvira."

"Fine!" Mako shouted, arms flying out. "Fine! You know what? Dance the entire damn night away! What does it matter? Let's all just pretend there's nothing wrong, right? Fuck it!" He turned on his heel and shoved past one of his endless fucking third cousins triple times removed to head out the door, down one of the endlessly long hallways to the suite at the end where he and Wu were staying. 

"What's _his_ problem?" he heard someone say as he surged down the hall, and he practically growled in rage. What was his problem? What _wasn't_ his fucking problem, more like it. Maybe, just maybe, he gave a damn! Maybe that was his problem! Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't getting much sleep because all he could do was lay awake at all hours of the night, thinking about what would have happened if Korra and all of her newly-found woo-woo bullshittery hadn't managed to locate Wu. Maybe, just maybe, it was because he was creeping out of bed every few minutes to make sure he could hear Wu's breathing, making sure he was still there. He was locking the door to the suite every night but it wasn't enough. Spirits knew that lock wasn't meant to really keep anyone out anyhow. He could have picked it in his sleep. This entire estate was half the size of the city, it would be as easy as anything to creep past the few officers Beifong had assigned to guard the property perimeter and get into the house itself. He could do it; hell, even Bolin could have managed it, and Spirits knew Bolin was about as subtle as a damn goat gorilla.

He tried. He tried! He went over the property plans with the officers to show them where the weak spots were. He'd asked Asami if he could change some locks and, typical Asami, she'd picked up the phone right then and there and called a locksmith, told Mako to do whatever he needed and she'd cover the cost. Well, he could always count on Asami at least, she'd never let him down yet. 

Hell, he'd even tried to show Wu some self-defense moves. It hadn't gone well. Wu had arms like a limp noodle; clearly the only thing he'd ever hit was the gambling table at Big Sal's nightclub. He hadn't even focused on the training anyhow, preferring to grill Mako about his past romantic relationships. Which he didn't really want to get into, it's not like he was exactly a smooth operator on that front. Besides, he wasn't going to tell him everything, for Raava's sake, his grandmother was standing right there! If Wu knew all that he'd gotten into over the years he'd probably never hear the end of it. Wu'd be all over him with questions about it, knowing Wu. Mako sure as shit wasn't going to tell him about his more colorful past, which included such gems as getting blown in the back of alleyways by other Triad kids and the one time he'd been so desperate to get Bolin some medicine that he'd fucked a guy for yuan. It's not that he was ashamed of it or anything - it was what it was, part of his past, which wasn't living in a cushy palace and getting everything he ever wanted, he did whatever was needed to survive, no regrets - but Bolin didn't know about a lot of it and Mako wanted to keep it that way. Those weren't relationships, anyhow. Besides the one time he did it for the yuan it was just good time fucking; letting off some steam, teenage hormones, that kind of thing. Spirits! He hadn't had anyone since that last time with Asami on her airship, back when they were on the way to Zaofu. That was more of a hook up kind of thing anyhow. He and Asami, they'd always fallen pretty easily into bed together, regardless of their relationship status at the time. Everything that had happened on that trip, though, their relationship on that level had just come to its natural end. It was fine. It worked out for the best for the both of them, really, and anyhow he had always valued Asami as a friend, even if he wasn't all that good at showing it. He'd caught on to the undercurrent going on between her and Korra over lunch the day Wu got kidnapped, which surprised him a little bit. He didn't mind; it was okay with him. More than okay, if they were happy. He just wished they'd tell him, though, not try to keep it a secret. Or maybe it wasn't that far along. Well, they'd figure it out on their own, he sure as hell didn't need to get into the middle of it. But it'd been awhile since he'd gotten laid, that's all. Three years and counting. Maybe he should do something about it, although it wasn't like he could have an actual relationship, not with Wu around twenty-four-seven.

He reached their suite and threw himself down on the bed Asami had provided for him. The suite had been her father's; just the bathroom itself was bigger than anything Mako himself had ever lived in. There were three - count them, three - fucking clothes closets, and despite Wu's protests he had converted one of them into a space where he could have a bed and door that closed. Wu wanted him to sleep in Sato's truly enormous bed with him - claimed he was scared - but Mako needed some privacy. Also, he wasn't going to get into bed with Wu. He wasn't stupid and he wasn't blind, contrary to popular belief. Wu was pretty hands on with everyone, but he'd been particularly grabby with Mako lately, and Mako didn't want to encourage it. Pretty soon when all of this Kuvira shit was handled Wu would be heading back to the Earth Kingdom, and despite what Raiko said, Mako was _not_ going with him. Fuck Raiko for thinking he could just tell Mako he had to go, anyhow. Who did he think he was, Kuvira? Presidents didn't have that kind of power. Besides, Wu would have his own staff when he got back there. People who would do a better job than he had. Wu in a trunk on a train was a grade A failure on his part as bodyguard. Why Beifong hadn't fired his ass he had no idea. He would have fired anybody who had failed that spectacularly at their job, but Beifong had just told him to quit his fucking whining and get back to work when he'd tried to go and resign the day after they'd gotten Wu back. 

"Mako?" Wu's voice interrupted his thoughts. Mako sighed.

"What?" Even Wu could hear the irritation in his voice, he was sure. He looked up to see Wu outlined in his doorway, shoulders hunched up, that damned wounded deer dog expression on his face again. Mako wished he wouldn't look like that. He hated that look. _Hated it._ Whenever Wu got that look Mako had the urge to take him into his arms and hold him, rub his back and tell him it was going to be okay, like he used to do with Bolin. Well. It wasn't okay, and Mako couldn't make it okay, and besides, Wu would be leaving for Ba Sing Se as soon as they got the whole Kuvira thing figured out, would get a princess of his own eventually, would have his royal life and there was no room for Mako there. Best not to get too attached.

At least that's what he told himself. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared.

"I...I'm sorry if I made you angry. I wasn't trying to. I just thought it would be fun to teach Meng-Meng how to dance..." Wu's voice drifted off uncertainly. He was so small standing there like that, so fucking defenseless.  

"Fine. Whatever." He looked at a point over Wu's left shoulder. "It's fine. Just go back to your dancing."

Wu didn't obey. He _never_ obeyed, damn him. Instead he came into the closet and sat down on the edge of the bed. He was so slight that the bed didn't even sag under his weight at all. Mako made the mistake of looking at his face, and Wu bit his lip. Oh Spirits, not the lip biting thing!

"Please don't be mad at me, okay?" Wu's fingers twisted nervously at the bedspread. "I hate it when you're mad at me." He laughed a little; a sad, forlorn sound. "You're always mad at me, I think."

Wu had no idea. None. None at all. Mako knew damn well that Wu had zero experience with women (or otherwise) despite the fact that he tried to pass himself off as some sort of player. Who he thought he was fooling, Mako had no clue, but he left it alone. He knew Wu well enough by now to know that Wu sitting there next to him like that wasn't some sort of a tease or an act; Wu wasn't sophisticated enough at flirtation to pull it off. Wu's idea of flirting was to basically hit women over the head with a sledgehammer of his inane babble. No, Wu had no idea at all what he did to him, Mako was sure of it.

"I'm not mad. Just frustrated. It's not your fault. It's fine. Just...go back to your dancing, okay? Everyone was having a good time. Go on back. Ignore me."

Wu scooted a little closer on the bed. "But I wanted to dance with you." He looked up at Mako through those long lashes.

Spirits! Mako wanted nothing more than to call his bluff; grab him by his shoulders and throw him down on the narrow damn bed, kiss him until he shut the fuck up for more than two seconds altogether. He wanted to tear his clothes off; he wanted to bite at that slender, fragile neck; he wanted to know what kind of noises Wu would make if he put his hands all over him. He could feel his temperature rising, the ever-present flame inside of him roaring to life, threatening to break his hard-won and iron-clad control. _No_ , he told the fire, and he ruthlessly pushed it back, forced it to his will. Cool under fire they used to call him when he was pro-bending, and he used every trick he had in his arsenal to calm himself down. Fuck him, it wasn't easy, though. It's not like he could go after Wu that way anyhow; Wu was young and inexperienced, sheltered. He'd need delicate handling, tenderness, care...and Mako needed to stop thinking about that, right the fuck now.

He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up. He'd known he was in trouble when he opened that trunk and saw Wu's frightened face looking back at him; if he hadn't already been on his knees he might have gone down to them involuntarily at that point. He'd wanted nothing more than to take him into his arms and hold him forever while still feeling the need to kill every single fucking person on that train for daring to touch him and that's when he realized he was in some seriously deep shit. He couldn't do this. He couldn't. Wu was no one-night stand; no friend with benefits like Asami, not someone he could fuck-fight with like Korra. Wu was the real deal, he could sense it, and it _terrified_ him. Wu was a prince, soon to be a King; Mako was a nobody from the streets. They were wildly mismatched. He couldn't do it, not to either of them. Eventually Wu would move on to his real life, the life he was born to, and Mako wasn't sure he could survive the heartbreak of being left behind. Best to keep his heart to himself. Best to not even try, no matter how much he longed to do it.

"I'm not going to dance with you, not ever. Give it up. Now if you don't mind, I'm a little tired, and I'd like to go to bed. Some of us actually get up in the morning instead of laying around waiting for breakfast to be served." His tone was harsh, and Wu visibly wilted.

"Oh. Okay. Sure thing, big guy. Right." He stood up, paused for a moment like he was going to say something, but turned and walked out of the closet, closing the door gently behind him.

Mako waited until he heard the door of the suite close before he allowed the tears to come.


	8. An Accidental Transgression: Mako's First Spa Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wu takes Mako on his first spa date. Set in Republic City, not long after Mako started working for Wu as a bodyguard.
> 
> Based on a mention Wu makes about a steam room incident in [Dear Diary or: How I Had a Second Coronation and a Dalliance with a Detective .](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3350999/chapters/7331165)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A request from unlessyoudreamofme on Tumblr. I hope you like it!

"It's the bee's knees! You have to trust me on this one, Buddy! It's a swell time," Wu was fairly prancing down the hallway of the Four Elements, eyes shining and that ridiculous cane of his twirling rapidly around his fingers. He'd bought the cane the week before and had been practicing with it in their rooms; about the fifth time he'd nearly taken Mako's head off with it Mako had shouted at him and Wu had shut himself into his bedroom for a sulk that had lasted for hours.  "Let's get a wiggle on! Don't want to be late!"

Mako rolled his eyes over Wu's head. Wu had spent over an hour in the bathroom getting ready. For what, Mako had no idea, seeing as they were just going to go to the spa and it would all be undone, presumably. Not that he was sure what all they did in spas. Spas were not exactly hangouts for someone like him, to say the very least. Point being, it wasn't _Mako_ that was going to make them late. He'd been ready in less than five minutes, and that included brushing his teeth.

The car was waiting for them as they left the hotel's front entrance; as per usual Wu stopped for photographs and signed autograph books. They were already late, and this was going to make them even later. Not that it mattered, Mako supposed. He'd made sure that the entire spa would be cleared for the day for Wu. He couldn't even fathom the expense of doing something like that. How much money did the kid have anyhow? He finally dragged Wu away from all of his mewling little fangirls and got him into the car, where Wu immediately started up with his endless babble. Something about the spa. Mako tuned him out, for the most part. As usual.

The spa in question was, naturally, the nicest in town. It was only four blocks from the Four Elements Hotel; Mako could have walked it in about two minutes flat. Wu liked to have the car take him wherever, though. For awhile there Mako had assumed it was just one more quirk of being royalty and rich beyond measure, but now he wasn't so sure. Wu was clearly nervous whenever they were out in the open; he trembled just slightly and got that hunched up look that Mako had already learned meant that Wu was scared of something. Wu often started at loud or strange noises; when he did his usual mile-a-minute chatter would speed up until it was practically frenzied. Nerves, Mako supposed. He asked Mako a lot of questions about firebending, too. Most of them revolved around how Mako would defend him from attackers; Wu didn't seem at all interested in the actual logistics of bending itself. Mako knew he'd been at the palace in Ba Sing Se when the Red Lotus had assassinated the Queen. Safe bet it had been a pretty bad scene. Mako didn't like the kid all that much but he was willing to cut him a break on that one. Sheltered kid like Prince Wu? Probably left some fairly big scars.

Mako had tried to call him Prince Wu - he didn't really feel all that comfortable with Your Highness, he'd grown up in a democracy, after all, they didn't do the whole royalty thing, although if it had been part of the job description he would have done it - but the prince insisted that Mako call him Wu. He mentioned it to Beifong and she waved him off, told him to call the kid His Royal Pink Asshole if it made him happy and kept him quiet. Fine. Wu it was.

He couldn't really complain about living at the Four Elements, either. The suite that Wu lived in had a small room meant for a maid or valet or something, and that's where Mako slept. He had his own bathroom, too; much smaller than Wu's, but it had a shower so he was good to go. The hotel's housekeeping services cleaned the suite every day and they always ate out. It wasn't a bad way to live, even if he wasn't all that thrilled with having his time always taken up with Wu's whims. Wu clearly didn't like it when Mako had time off and always whined at length about the unsuitability of the officers that filled in for him, which got to be pretty tiresome, truth be told. You’d think he was abandoning the kid forever if he took an hour or two to go and have dinner with his family up at Asami’s place, for the love of Raava.

Wu was saying something directly to him and Mako pulled himself back into the conversation. "What?"

Wu tsked at him. "I _said_ that a few months from now will be my birthday and I'll be seventeen.  How's that for nifty, huh? How about you? How old are you?"

Mako sighed inwardly. Having discussions with this kid about his personal life was _not_ what he was getting paid for. "I'm twenty. It was my birthday last week."

Wu's mouth dropped open. "Applesauce! Why didn't you say? We could have had a big shindig for it! A real crowd-pleaser, huh, Mako?"

"If you say so." Like he wanted this kid to throw him a party. No one had remembered his birthday this year. Korra he understood; she was focused on her recovery down south and had far more important things to be thinking about than his birthday. But neither Asami or Bolin had remembered, either. Bolin forgetting had hurt, actually. He'd always made sure that he did something for Bolin, every single birthday, even during their most desperate times on the street. Yeah, it hurt that Bolin had forgotten. More than a little, actually.

Wu snapped his fingers. "I've got it! I'm giving you a spa day for your birthday. You can join me instead of just sitting around waiting! Get the whole works, huh? Facial, manicure, pedicure, little massage, we can even take a turn in the steam room!" Wu shot him a look. "Maybe you could even get a little trimmed off that mop, huh?"

Mako's hand flew up to his head. "What the hell's wrong with my hair?" He glared at Wu, who for once didn't back down under his glare.

"It's a little messy, don't you think? Maybe you could get a little style to it, hmm?" Wu patted at his own head and then widened his eyes, mouth curving up into a big grin. "Aw, come on, Mako, don't be a flat tire! It'll be fun!"

Mako doubted it. He could refuse, of course. Wu would sulk, but he'd get over it. He always did. Thing was though, he was more than a little bit grateful that at least someone gave a damn about his birthday. Even if it was Wu. He sighed. "Fine."

Wu bounced up and down on his seat. "There, you see! I knew you weren't all wet! It'll be the owlcat's pajamas, I ab-so-lute-ly guarantee it!"

 

It wasn't all that bad. The hairdresser at the spa had done something with his hair that looked pretty nice, cutting it and combing it back with some sort of pomade. Mako had to admit it looked pretty stylish. Sort of like the haircut that General Iroh had. He couldn't say he liked Iroh all that much, but there was no getting around the fact that Iroh was a damn good looking man. The hairdresser told him he'd need to continue growing out his hair for the style to really take - it was still too short in places - and Wu promised for him that they'd come back later so she could continue to shape it up. She trimmed Wu's hair as well. Obviously she was good at what she did; Mako hadn't been aware of how much Wu's hair curled until he saw it in its natural state without any styling. The kid looked like a koala sheep or something. Kind of unfortunate. Wu bought him a jar of the pomade, which was unbelievably expensive. Mako couldn't get over it, he and Bolin could have eaten for a month on what that one little jar cost. Crazy. There had to a cheaper alternative out there.

The facial was okay. Weird, but okay. He didn't enjoy the feeling of the mask thing they slathered on tightening on his skin, but he was pleased with how nice his skin felt afterwards. He let them do a manicure on him, but he really didn't enjoy that at all. He didn't like the feeling of having someone else controlling his hands and the sound the file made across his nails made all of the hair stand up all over him. That was  _not_  a sound he wanted to listen to coming from any part of his body ever again. He point blank refused the pedicure with the nibbling fish. There was no fucking way he was going to let fish eat his dead skin. Just the very thought of it made his stomach turn. Wu didn't push it, thankfully. Instead, Mako did what he usually did on these spa trips and read through a fashion magazine while Wu was getting chomped on by the fish. Apparently there was a new thing for women that they were calling a brassiere? There were some pretty detailed drawings of them. Mako wholeheartedly approved of how they looked, even though he wasn't sure how comfortable they would be for a woman to wear. He'd ask Asami her thoughts on it but he could pretty much guarantee that she'd take it the wrong way no matter how he tried to phrase it. Best to leave that one be. He liked the lacy parts in the brassieres, though. He liked them a  _lot_.

They got served something to eat while Wu was getting his toes done; little appetizer things that, while delicious, left Mako mostly hungry. It was fine for Wu; the kid lived off of air and tea as far as Mako could tell. He needed something a little more substantial, though. They offered champagne, but Mako refused for both of them before Wu could even get his mouth open to reply. Wu pouted, but he'd get over it. Mako was on duty and all he needed was a tipsy Wu to chase after; the kid weighed so little he'd probably be smashed after a single glass. They'd stick to aloe water.

Next up was the steam room and then a massage. Mako had never really had a massage before, although he knew a lot of the pro-benders swore by them. He and Bolin could never afford it. The steam room, though, that he was really looking forward to. The hotter the better, as far as he was concerned. Wu was getting his toenails buffed when the attendant came in to tell them the steam room was ready whenever they were. Wu told him to go ahead, but Mako had to reluctantly refuse. It was hard to be an effective bodyguard when you weren't in the same room as the person you were supposed to be guarding. When Wu was finally done with his toes they went into the changing room and took off their clothes, wrapping fluffy white towels around their waists. Mako had to admit, he had grown to appreciate a soft and cushy towel, so points to the high life for that! He opened the door to the steam room and escorted Wu inside.

They weren't kidding when they said it was ready, either. The steam was so thick that Mako could hardly see through it. He took in deep lungfuls of it, smiling a little to himself. Someday, if he were rich, he'd have his own steam room in his own swanky mansion and he'd go whenever he pleased.  He huffed out a little a laugh at himself. Mansion. Right.

"Oh monkeyfeathers! I forgot my shower cap!" said Wu.

"Your what, now?" Mako sat down with a happy sigh on one of the wooden benches.

"If I don't cover my hair it will go simply everywhere. It's a real palooka."

Mako had no idea what a palooka was, but it probably applied to Wu's hair. He sighed and started to stand up.

"Don't cast a kitten, Mako! I think I can get it by myself, you know. I'll be back in a jiffy!" Wu slammed the door behind him. Mako supposed it would be okay. If he wasn't back in a minute he'd go after him. He stretched his arms up above his head, his spine popping. He closed his eyes and slumped back a little bit, legs spreading open as he relaxed. Nope. You could keep your facials and your manicures. Give him a steam room any old day. This was worth all of the fussing that had come before.

He heard the door open. "Wu?"

"Yes, it's me, don't be such a killjoy. Can you see anything in here? I can't see a thing." Mako didn't bother to either answer or open his eyes. Already he could feel his muscles starting to unknot a bit. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so relaxed. It'd been awhile, that's for sure. What was that smell, anyhow? There was some sort of subtle smell to the steam, something sort of flowery. Nice flowery, though, not like those perfumes that some women wore that hit you upside the head with it. He hated that. If he could smell someone across the room, that meant it was too much. It should be something gentle, like this, something that you could only catch a whiff of if you were really close. Korra had always smelled a little bit like Naga, which was not all that appealing, truth be told, but Asami had smelled like -

"HEY!" he shouted in surprise, sitting up with a jerk as something solid landed in his lap. He reached out automatically with his hands to grab at it and it took him a second to realize that what he was grabbing was very soft skin. Soft skin without a towel? Soft skin that rounded into his hands? What the everliving fuck? 

It was Wu. In his lap. _Without a towel._

"WU!" he gasped, scandalized. Mostly at himself, because for just a second there he'd enjoyed that soft skin under his hands, and this was a sixteen-year-old kid he was talking about. A kid he didn't even particularly like, even. A kid he worked for, for the love of Raava. "What are you doing?!?"

"Sorry!" said Wu, but he didn't move. In fact, he actually nestled in a little closer to Mako's chest. The balls on that kid! Which, if Mako was not mistaken, were resting against his bare thigh right at that very moment. Oh, no. No no no no no.  **NO.**

"Get off," he sputtered, and gave Wu a shove, which sent him flying. Little too much force there, Mako, and he immediately leapt up, intending to offer his hand to help the kid up. Mako's towel sagged, and before he could catch it, dropped, slithering down his hips to gently puddle on the floor.

"Oh," he heard Wu say, and he tried to squint down at him through the steam. Wu was sprawled on his back on the floor, buck naked but for a ridiculous looking poofy white cap covering his hair. Mako's lost towel had draped itself across one of his shins.

"Where the hell is your towel?" Mako hissed, leaning down to snatch his towel off of Wu's shin. Wu grabbed at the other end, tugging at it.

"That's mine! Give it to me!" Wu pulled harder.

"No it isn't! That's _my_ towel! Where's yours?" Mako yanked at it so hard he pulled Wu right along with it. Wu's head came a mere hairsbreadth away from his thigh and he heard him squeak.

"Oh for the love of Raava!" Mako shouted and he stepped back quickly, which caused Wu to fumble at his thigh to keep himself from falling forward. "Wu! Hands to yourself!"

"Well, quit throwing me around!" Wu said. "I don't know where my towel is!"

"Let go of me and I'll find it," said Mako through clenched teeth, and Wu finally let go, sitting back to peer up at him. Mako quickly wrapped his own towel back around his waist, deliberately tucking it in tightly with short, sharp movements. He plunged through the steam and his foot found Wu's towel before he saw it. He grabbed it and dropped it over Wu. "There. Put it on." His hand crept up to pinch at the bridge of his nose in irritation but his towel started to slip again and he grabbed at it furiously with both hands.

"Sorry," said Wu. "It was an accident, really. I swear it was. I couldn't see."

"Whatever," said Mako. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

"Please don't be mad," said Wu. Mako couldn't really see his face, but he could hear the tone of his voice. Pleading. "Please. We don't have to go. Or I can leave, you can stay. Don't be mad at me, okay?"

Mako sighed. "It's fine." Damn the kid anyhow.

"You say that, but it's not really, is it?" Wu's voice sounded sad. "Oh please, I just wanted you to have something nice, too. It was your birthday and I didn't even know."

Mako snorted. "Like you care about my birthday. Just an excuse for you to have a spa day and drag me along."

Wu was silent for a few moments, unmoving. "Well, no one knew it was my birthday last year. It felt really lousy to me. Didn't it feel lousy to you?"

It _had_ felt lousy. It still felt lousy. But Mako doubted this spoiled rich kid really cared about him at all. He probably didn’t care about anyone but himself. Oh, crap. He was probably being unfair to Wu. He’d already planned his spa day without knowing anything about Mako’s birthday and he didn’t have to offer to have Mako join him, after all. And now he’d barked at the kid, probably hurt his feelings. Shit. Shit! This was why things were always better if he just kept his big mouth shut as much as possible. Spirits knew he didn’t want to talk to Wu about how it felt to have everyone forget his birthday.

“I gave up caring about birthdays a long time ago,” he said, trying to move away from a discussion about his feelings and he heard Wu take in a breath. He cut him off before he got started. “Come on. You’ve got a massage. Don’t want to miss it.”

"Yeah," said Wu. His tone had changed, back into the sort of cheerful insouciance that Mako was used to. "The masseuse here is a real humdinger! He really knows his onions, let me tell you, Buddy! Nothing like a good massage to get the old juices flowing, huh?" Wu hopped up, towel in place, and opened the door. "Come on, shake a leg, Mako!" 

Mako bit back a sigh of annoyance and followed him out.

 


	9. An Explosive Incident: Wu Tries A New Type Of Candy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wu tries out a new candy from the Fire Nation. It doesn't go all that well.
> 
> Set at the Four Elements Hotel, not long after Mako started working for Wu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on a tumblr prompt: Imagine your favorite character(s) eating Pop Rocks. 
> 
> I can't resist that kind of thing.
> 
> As a six year old I stuck Pop Rocks up my nose to see what would happen. It didn't quite go as hoped. I don't recommend it.

Mako looked down at the candy cupped in Wu’s hand. 

“What did you say it was called again?”

“Pop Rocks! Cam says they’re all the rage right now! Real hot stuff!” At Mako’s blank look Wu sighed, greatly put upon. “You know, Cam? Cam? Concierge here at the hotel? Tall drink of water? Easy on the eyes?” At Mako’s raised eyebrow Wu tittered nervously. “Well, that’s what all the _girls_  seem to think. Anyhow, not important!” He waved his hand under Mako’s nose. “They come from the Fire Nation. Seriously? You haven’t heard about them?”

Mako firmly pushed Wu’s palm away from his face. “No. I haven’t.”

“Well, now you have! So what do you say? Huh? Want to put a little fizzle into your life?” Wu waved his palm in what he probably thought was an enticing manner again, eyebrows scrolling up and down his forehead.

“Not really, no.” What kind of a name was Pop Rocks anyhow? Mako sighed and sat down on the sofa. Maybe if Wu got distracted with his candy he could turn on the radio, catch the pro-bending match that was just about to start.

“Your loss, Buddy.” Wu stared down at the uneven lumps in his hand, colored an improbable bright orange. “Here goes nothing!” He opened his mouth and tossed the handful in. He shut his mouth, waited for a moment, and frowned. “Mmmmph,” he said, and then his eyes bulged out. “Mmmmph! Mmmph! Mmmm! Mmmmgggg!” He hopped up and down from one foot to the other, both hands waving frenetically. “MMMMPH!”

Mako leapt off of the sofa. “What? What is it? Poison? Spit it out! Wu! Spit it out! Right now!” When Wu didn’t obey he lunged at him and shook him by the collar. “Spit it out!”

“Mmmmmmmph!” Wu said, and one of his flying hands caught Mako in the eye. Mako hissed in pain. Wu jumped back, eyes going even wider. He tried opening his mouth, “Ah, sorr-” but his mouth immediately shut again and he wriggled in Mako’s grip like some sort of a demented eel hound. “Mmmmmmph! Mhhhgo mmm mmmoooommmphmm!”

“Shit!” Mako hauled Wu tightly up against his chest, prying open his mouth with the fingers of his right hand. “Spit it out! Spit it out!” He could hear an ominous sizzling sound from inside of Wu’s mouth and his heart rate accelerated. Quickly he swiped a finger in there and felt the things vibrating on Wu’s tongue before Wu’s teeth clamped down on his finger. “Ow! Damn it! Don’t bite me! We need to get those things out!” Wu suddenly went limp in his arms and Mako nearly dropped him, his saliva-slathered finger pulling out of his mouth. “Wu! Wu! Can you speak to me?” Wu’s head was facing down towards the floor and Mako could feel his body start to shake. He flipped him over quickly, pulling him up and cradling him in his arms. “WU!”

Wu was  _laughing_. Laughing! He stuck his tongue out at Mako. “They really fizzle! They pop! All over my tongue! Best candy  _ever_! Mako! You  _have_  to try these!”

Mako stared down at him and gave him another shake. “I thought you were poisoned,” he gritted out and Wu blinked before pulling the packet out of his trouser pocket and waving it up at Mako.

“Well, I  _told_  you they’d put a little fizzle into your life. They sure put a fizzle in mine! Wow! Hey! I wonder what would happen if we stuck them up our noses? What do you say, Mako? Want to give it a whirl?”  Wu grinned up at him. 

Mako dragged him over and deposited him on the nearest chair. “No.”

“Ah, come on! Mako! Let that nicely combed hair down a little, what do you say? It’s fun!” Wu batted his eyes at him coyly and waved the packet again.

“No.” Mako turned on his heel and stalked across the room to where the door to his small bedroom was.

“Oh Mako, don’t be grouchy! I’m sorry I hit your eye! It was an accident! Don’t be mad! Come on! Come back! Don’t be such a flat tire! Well. Fine, be that way. I’ll just eat the rest by myself, then!”

Mako slammed the bedroom door behind him. Shit! He really had thought he’d been poisoned, damn near had heart attack, got a fist to the eye for his trouble. Stupid damn job. Stupid damn Fire Nation candy.  _Pop Rocks._


	10. A Gastronomical Dilemma: Breakfast At The Four Elements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako's very first breakfast with Wu. Set at the Four Elements Hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I asked for a Wuko prompt on tumblr to write myself out of a rotten day.
> 
> My prompt from theculturalvacuum was: What to have for breakfast. (Mako hates kale.)

The bellboy bowed deeply. “Your breakfast, Your Highness.” He paused for the briefest of moments, glancing over at Mako. “Sir.” He straightened the white cloth on the wheeled serving cart before clipping his heels together smartly and walking back out the door, shutting it gently behind him.

Mako stared down at the arrangement of silver domes. How much food did this kid eat, anyhow? Mako’d seen spirits floating around that probably outweighed him. He fought back a yawn. It wasn’t that the bed in what Prince Wu had referred to as  _the valet’s quarters_  was uncomfortable or anything. It was damn comfortable and in any case Mako could - and had - pretty much slept on any available surface and this bed was right up there with Zaofu for best sleeping experience ever. He even had his own small bathroom along with the little bedroom and as far as Mako was concerned, as long as he had a bed and a shower he was good to go, so it wasn’t that. It was more that he wasn’t really sure about the job at hand. He wasn’t really a bodyguard, was the thing. He wasn’t even sure what bodyguards were supposed to do. Look menacing? He guessed he could manage that. Protect the prince? He’d asked Beifong exactly what his job duties required and she had made a face and told him to keep the prince quiet and out of everyone’s hair. Yeah. It sounded more like babysitting and he was none too happy about it, either. And the worst thing about it was that he thought he’d been doing well at work! He’d made that bust at the Red Monsoon Triad headquarters and he thought Beifong was pleased with him. So why was he now on babysitting duty? Who the fuck had he pissed off this time?

“So! Mako! Breakfast! I didn’t know what you liked, so I ordered just a little bit of everything! Don’t you worry, either, the food here is just delicious. Day or night, all I have to do is give ‘em a little ring-a-ding and they’ll bring me up whatever I want. Nice, huh? So, tea? You drink tea? How do you take your tea? Me, I like mine black and strong. So how do you like yours?” The prince was fairly hopping around the cart. Mako had assumed that he’d be a late riser - weren’t royals all late risers? - but that was not the case. The prince was up and dressed before Mako had dragged himself out of bed. He’d need to swing by his flat at some point and grab his alarm clock, then. He might not know what a bodyguard did all day but he assumed it wasn’t sleeping later than the person he was supposed to be guarding.

The prince was still talking, a ceaseless stream of babble that Mako had tuned out completely. So. Prince Wu of the Earth Kingdom was apparently a morning person. Fantastic. Just fantastic. Mako  _hated_  morning people. In fact, he often felt the urge to set morning people on fire and this kid was starting to tempt him. He startled a bit when a tea cup and saucer was shoved under his nose.

“So what do you take in your tea, huh? Myself, I like it black and strong. I bet that surprises you, right?”

Mako quickly took the tea cup out of his hand before half of it went all over the rug. “Sure.” He fumbled around on the cart before he found the milk and sugar, adding them both to the cup. The prince had filled it too full and some of it slopped over the side into the saucer. Mako sighed. “I can get my own tea, you know.” He sat down at the table. Was he supposed to sit before the prince sat down? He had no idea. Well, fuck that. If Beifong wanted someone who knew proper etiquette she could just send someone else, then. It’s not like she wasn’t aware of his background. He  _had_  pissed her off, hadn’t he? Shit!

“Sure you can! I was just being friendly. I’m a friendly kind of fellow.” The prince started yanking the silver domes away from the food. “So, what do we have here? Well, there’s jook, of course. I told them to send up three different kinds. There’s some with egg and onion, there’s some with mango in it and some with pickled kale. Oh, you have to try the jook with the pickled kale. It’s to die for!”

Mako saw the newspaper on the side of the cart and reached over for it. “Not a fan of kale.” He pulled a pen out of his pocket and set it down on top of the paper.

“What? No, seriously. You don’t like kale? Everyone likes kale! I bet you’ve just never had it prepared properly. Give it a try. I bet you’ll like it.” The prince dished some of the pickled kale jook up and set it in front of him. The smell enough was enough to turn his stomach and Mako deliberately moved the bowl aside. “Oh, come on! Little taste? Just a little one? It’s kale! A taste sensation! I ordered kale smoothies, too. I love those!”

“I don’t want a kale smoothie. I’ll just take some of the regular jook. Non-kale jook.” He leaned over to the cart and dished himself up a bowl of the egg and onion jook, snagging a spoon to go with it.

“What about a bun? I ordered five different kinds. Let’s see…we’ve got picken, bean paste, egg, tofu and kale again. You mean to say you don’t even like kale in a steamed bun?”

“No. I don’t.”

“Well, that’s just weird, Mako, I have to say. What about dumplings? I ordered some of those too.”

Mako sighed. “Look, tea and jook is fine for me. I don’t really make a big deal of breakfast.” Would this kid never shut up? He could give Bolin a run for his yuan, for sure. Except that Bolin would have already made a sizable dent in that cart and the prince hadn’t actually eaten anything yet. “You should eat.”

“You don’t make a big deal out of breakfast? But look at you! You must eat a lot!”

Mako stared at him.

“You’re so  _big_.” The prince did some sort of movement with his arms that ended up with one of his hands grasping at Mako’s bicep through the sleeve of his new uniform. “Now that’s what I call muscle, wow!” He squeezed at Mako. Mako removed his hand and firmly placed it onto the table. The prince didn’t seem to notice but just carried on. “I also ordered some pastries. You put a lot of sugar into your tea, so you like things sweet, huh? Got a little bit of a sweet tooth, hmm? Not me, I don’t really like sweet things although everyone thinks I do, I guess because I’m royalty, huh?” He pulled the rest of the domes off of the food. There was a staggering amount of it; the three kinds of jook, dumplings, steamed buns, pastries, several smoothies as well as eggs and even some soup. “If you don’t like anything here we can order something else. They’ll make me anything I want.” The prince snapped his fingers. “Just like that!” He smiled at Mako expectantly. Mako had no idea whatsoever what he wanted from him.

“Yeah. The regular jook is fine.” Mako shook out the financial section from the paper and took a swallow of tea before starting to read it. He’d made it about halfway through his bowl of jook when he realized that all was quiet in the suite. He brought the paper down to look over it at the prince. Wu was sitting across from him with his arms crossed and a pout on his face that was a thing of glory. Great. Now he’d pissed  _him_  off as well. Mako suppressed a sigh. All that damn food sitting there and the kid hadn’t touched any of it. No wonder he looked like a bundle of twigs dressed up in silk. “Have you eaten any of that breakfast?”

“Obviously not,” the prince said, refusing to look at Mako. “I don’t care. I want to go out now.” He thrust out his chin and tried to give Mako a dirty look.  _Tried_ being the operative word. He wasn’t very convincing. Mako was pretty sure he’d be fired if he leaned across the table and thumped the kid a good one upside the head, so he refrained. All of that food he’d ordered! He and Bolin could have eaten for days on that food and been glad for it. It would probably just get dumped in the trash. Well, he and Bolin had dumpster-dived more than once at the Four Elements Hotel, so he’d guess that the current lot of street rats knew to look there.

“Eat your breakfast or we aren’t leaving,” he said, giving the prince the look that had always worked on Bolin when Bo was being particularly stubborn about something. This kid had another thing coming if he thought a few sulks were going to get him what he wanted. “And next time don’t order so much food. It’s a waste to throw all that food away.”

The prince swallowed hard and took up a dumpling, sitting up straight and putting his napkin into his lap. Well, he had nice manners when he chose to use them, at least. Mako put the paper back up. This wasn’t going to work. He had no idea why Beifong was pissed at him, but he’d have to go and talk to her. He wasn’t cut out to be a bodyguard, especially for some spoiled rich kid. He snuck a glance at him from around the paper. Damn it all anyhow. The prince looked like he was about to cry into his dumpling. Great. Great! He’d gone and done it again, said the wrong thing and made someone cry. This was never going to work. Beifong needed someone diplomatic to do this job and that someone sure as shit was not Mako. What was she thinking? Oh, crap! Now the kid's chin was wobbling and if there was one thing Mako did not know how to handle it was tears. Best stop that train on its tracks right here and now. “So. Where did you want to go today?”

The prince looked up at him and tried a tentative little smile. “I was thinking the zoo? I'd like to visit the badgermoles.”

Badgermoles! Busting up triads to badgermoles! Beifong clearly  _hated_  him. Nope. Not going there. Just stop the prince from crying. Mako took a deep breath and nodded. “Finish that dumpling and we can go. Okay?”

The prince beamed at him. “Okay! My last bodyguard would never take me, he said it wasn’t safe enough. But he wasn’t a firebender or anything, huh? So I guess if anyone bothers me you can just do the old flaming ka-pow -” here the prince waved his feeble little arms about in what Mako assumed was his interpretation of a punch,“- and rescue me, no problem, right?”

“Sure. Just like that. Now eat your breakfast.”

“No more kale, right? Note to self, the big guy doesn’t do kale!”

“Right. Eat.”

The prince launched into a diatribe about what he assumed was Mako’s prowess at taking down what he referred to as  _the bad guys_. Mako poured himself another cup of tea. He’d talk to Beifong about transferring him back onto the beat tomorrow.


	11. An Enlightening Discussion: My Baby Wrote Me A Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako and Bolin have a little fraternal chat before Mako leaves Republic City for Ba Sing Se.
> 
> Set a couple of days before [Dear Diary or: How I Had a Second Coronation and a Dalliance with a Detective](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3350999/chapters/7332956) begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came from an anonymous prompt on tumblr. It was brought to my attention that I had never written what Bolin's reaction to Wu and Mako getting together was!
> 
> So now I have.

"Hand me my socks, would you? No, not the yellow ones, the white ones." Bolin picked them off of Mako's table and tossed them at Mako, who caught them one-handed. "Thanks." Mako rolled them neatly and put them into his bag.

"So, I'm still not following why you are going to Ba Sing Se," Bolin said. He picked up Mako's blue logbook up off of the table and idly flipped through the pages. Mako didn't bother telling him to stop; he knew Bolin wasn't reading it, he was just fidgeting. Bolin never could keep his hands off of things for long.

"I told you. I'm going to Wu's coronation. Well, second coronation." Mako carefully folded his best suit and frowned. It was going to wrinkle, no matter what he did. Well, somebody in that palace had to have an iron he could borrow, though, right?

"No, I got that part. I just don't know _why_." Bolin abandoned the logbook and threw himself down on Mako's sofa, worrying at the place in the corner where some of the threads had come loose.

"Don't fuck with that, Bo, you'll just make it worse. I need to fix it." He was going to wear his uniform on the train, but he wasn't sure what else he should pack. One of these days he'd need to get himself more in the way of regular clothes. At least all of his underwear was new. He'd done that last week after he got Wu's letter telling him to come. It wasn't that he didn't have the money - he was officially a detective now and his pay had been bumped up some. He wasn't rich or anything, but new clothes wouldn't be a problem on his current salary. It just felt so wrong somehow to buy himself more than what he could wear in one go. Well, to spend any money, really. He put a chunk of it in the bank and the rest into investments. Although he had splurged and gone back yesterday to the place that always used to cut Wu's hair and gotten his own hair cut. It looked good. Better than the cheap place he usually went to, for sure. Sometimes he guessed you did get what you paid for. He held up two shirts and turned to his brother. "Which is better for my suit? The white or the pale yellow?"

Bolin cocked his head. "I like the white one better." Mako nodded and folded the white one. "I get that Prince Wu invited you and all, but do you really want to go that badly?" He jiggled his knee up and down.

"You're going," Mako replied, and he examined his dress shoes. They could use a polish. He put them to the side of the bed.

"I'm going because Opal's going. And she's going because her whole family is going. Plus we're going to go with Tenzin afterwards to look at the Northern Air Temple. So that's why _I'm_ going. Why are _you_ going?"

The teakettle started to whistle, and Bolin jumped up off the sofa, busying himself with making tea. "How do you even fit in this kitchen? Can't you move somewhere better? This place is so small. And kind of run down. And not very nice." He rummaged through the drawers until he found spoons. "You could always move back in with Aunt LiLing and Uncle Chow, you know. It's not like Asami's place isn't big enough. Where's your sugar?"

"Cabinet above the stove. I don't want to move back there. Everyone is always up in my business."

"Yeah, it's like that out on Air Temple Island, too. I really want me and Opal to get our own place but she's still working on her mastery tenets. I keep telling her we could get a place over here and she could take the ferry in every day like I do to get to the studio but I don't know. She doesn't want to. I feel like we're offending the spirits every time we try to have sex, though." He opened the icebox and took out the milk bottle, sniffing at it to make sure it was fresh.

Mako cracked a grin. "You probably are."

"It's creepy. And not in a good way. It's like some sacred space or something over there. If not for their kids I'd probably believe that Tenzin and Pema never had sex either."

"Do _not_ take me there, bro."

"Hey, share and share alike. If I have to think about Tenzin and Pema having sex, then you have to think about it, too. Call it brotherly love." Bolin put both hands to his heart and batted his eyelashes. Mako rolled his eyes.

"I'll call it knock your ass into next week is what I'll call it."

Bolin waved the brown paper bag sitting on the table at him. "You be nice to me! I brought you iced buns!" He grinned. "Come on and sit down. Tea's ready."

Mako took a seat and Bolin passed over his tea cup. The iced buns were from the bakery down the street; they were still slightly warm, the icing a bit gooey. Just the way Mako liked them. Bolin had brought six of them, too. Good old Bo.

"So I thought that Wu annoyed you." Bolin stuffed about half of a bun into his mouth. "Mghmy mmgh gommmg?"

Mako raised an eyebrow at him and Bolin washed the mouthful down with some tea. "You aren't going to drop this, are you?"

Bolin shook his head. "Nope. I can stay here all night if necessary. I have nowhere to be. Well. That's not true. I have to be at work tomorrow morning. And also Opal expects me for dinner. But until then I have nowhere to be."

Mako sighed. "I asked Wu if he wanted me to come and he said yes. So I'm going."

Bolin sat back, a skeptical expression on his face. "Really."

"Yes, _really_."

"And we went from that guy is kind of annoying to I am going to ask him if he wants me to come and not even wait for an invitation _how_ , exactly?" Bolin shook his finger at Mako. "Cough it up. Open those tight little lips and tell me aaaaaaall about it. Inquiring minds need to know."

Mako sighed again.

"Don't try to get out of it with the sighing thing. Your sighs do not work on me."

Mako resisted an urge to stick his tongue out at him. "Fine. Look, he's been writing me letters since he left for Ba Sing Se."

Bolin smiled. "Really? I didn't know that. That's nice of him. For an annoying little guy, I mean."

"I wrote him back for awhile but I quit writing after he got stabbed." Mako jammed a finger into what was left of his bun.

Bolin stared at him. "Jump back a minute. The two of you were writing back and forth and then after he got stabbed you quit writing him? And he kept writing you?"

"Yes."

"And you just quit writing to him."

"Yes."

"Let me make a wild guess here. You didn't give him a reason or anything, you just stopped writing."

Mako sighed. "Yes."

"Mako!"

Mako threw his hands up into the air. "I didn't know what to say, okay?"

Bolin looked at him and nodded several times slowly before gasping dramatically. He pointed a finger at Mako, eyes widening. "You _like_ him! That's what's going on! That's why you quit writing to him! Because you _LIKE_ him and he got stabbed and you felt guilty about it somehow!" Mako crossed his arms and refused to answer. This did not deter his brother in the slightest. "I know I'm right! So okay, cough it up. Did you know you liked him before he left for Ba Sing Se last year?" Bolin didn't wait for an answer but gasped again. "YOU DID! I can totally tell! You did!"

Mako shrugged.

"And you didn't tell him! _Mako!_ Why didn't you tell him?"

Mako nudged with his forearms the plate that held the remains of the mutilated bun. "Because he's a prince and I'm not, okay? I didn't see any future in it."

"We were all at a _wedding_. How much more romantic do you want to get? I told Opal I loved her and we made out behind the air temple until Meelo caught us. Meelo is one sneaky little bastard, let me tell you. But that's not important. What's important is that you LIKE him. When did you know?"

Mako shrugged. Bolin wagged his finger at him. "Ah ah ah, you aren't getting away as easy as that. When did you know? Come on. Come on. Tell your little bro. Come on now."

"Look, I don't know. I guess I sort of realized it the day Kuvira had him kidnapped. I didn't really think about it, though, until the day that she attacked the city. After you got me to the hospital, remember?" Bolin nodded earnestly. "Well, I didn't know where he was or if he was okay, even, and that's when I really realized it."

Bolin sat back. "But Mako, that was a year ago. You haven't said anything to anybody about it?" Mako shook his head. "Not even to me?" Bolin looked hurt.

Mako covered his eyes with his hand and rubbed at them. "I don't know. I just...he's a prince, you know? I just figured that he'd be getting married off to some princess or something and it was better if I just stayed here and tried to let it go. Better for both of us. I thought if I let it go that it would just fade away with time. I mean, when Korra and I broke up it hurt a lot but it didn't last very long. Everything is okay there now. Better than okay, she and Asami are really happy together, and I think they are great for each other too, not that my opinion matters or anything. I just thought that it would be like that with Wu, if he was out of sight and out of mind it would stop hurting. It didn't. It just got worse."

Bolin was shaking his head. "Don't take this the wrong way, and remember that I love you best, but you are one fucked up individual."

"Thanks. Thanks for that. A whole lot."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Bolin pushed his tea cup back and forth across the table. "I mean, I don't really know the guy very well and he seemed pretty annoying to me, but you still could have told me. He can't be worse than Eska, come on."

That actually got a smile out of Mako. "He's not really like Eska at all, trust me." He took a deep breath and poked at his bun again. "I don't know, Bo. I guess I just felt like you had so much going on. You were gone for a couple of years - you and Korra both - and then everything with Kuvira happened so fast, and I was trying to deal with my hand and arm healing and you started making movers again and I got the promotion...life just got away from me for awhile there. It wasn't because of you, though. I just...I told you, I didn't want to talk about it. I was hoping it would go away."

"Denial, Mako. _Denial._ "

"Yeah, well. I'm good at denial. Ask anyone."

They sat there for a few moments in silence before Mako spoke again. "I wanted it to just be a crush. Something that would pass away with time. It worked that way with Korra. And Asami and I were always more friends with benefits anyhow. I tried to think about my work. I tried to think about all kinds of things. Every time one of his letters came in the mail I would get so excited, I was so happy. I knew I shouldn't be feeling that way, though. And when I heard he'd gotten stabbed it took everything in me not to just jump on the nearest train and go to him. Just the thought that he had been hurt that way. I didn't know what to say to him. Everyone else sent things - you sent that plush Pabu, remember?"

"Of course."

"But I didn't know what to send. Everything just seemed so wrong."

Bolin nodded. "You wanted to send yourself, huh?"

Mako blinked, a little surprised. "Yeah. I guess that's it."

"Should have gone, bro. You should have gone."

"Su and Baatar took him to Zaofu and he kept writing and he struck up this friendship with Huan -"

"Really? With Mr. Artsy-Fartsy? Uh, don't tell Opal I said that."

"Yeah. They really hit it off, apparently. Huan's there with him in Ba Sing Se now."

"Huh!"

"Yeah, I don't know. But I was jealous, you know? Of Huan, I mean. And Wu's letters were so friendly but then again he was always so friendly, so I had no idea what was going on with him, whether he cared about me as more than a friend or not."

Bolin stared at him. His mouth dropped open. "Say what now?" He gaped at Mako.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You...you didn't know whether or not he liked you?"

"Well, I figured he had a little bit of a crush for awhile there, sure. But that didn't mean he really cared about me long term or anything."

Bolin looked incredulous. "A little bit of a _crush_? Mako! He followed you around everywhere like a turtleduck chick! I hardly knew the guy and even I could see that! He never took his eyes off of you! Or his hands, for that matter. Korra joked that you and he were attached at the hip."

"What?"

"Mako! Everyone knew he was totally into you!"

Mako sat back in his chair. "Well...I don't think that's true."

"Bro. Bro! We all knew! Even _Grandma_ talked about it!"

" _What?_ "

"I mean, could he have been more obvious? You always gave him the cold shoulder so I figured you weren't interested." Bolin clapped his hand to his forehead. "Ha! Speaking of which, Korra owes me a thousand yuan. I have to call her."

"WHAT!"

"Oh, we had a little bet going. Korra said you knew Wu had a thing for you but that you weren't into him but I said I didn't think you were picking up what he was putting down. I know you better than Korra does, no matter what she thinks."

"You guys fucking _bet_ on me! Thanks a whole damn lot!"

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Asami wouldn't bet. She said she never made wagers on friends."

"That does not make me feel any better!"

Bolin shrugged at him. "So. Tell me. Why?"

"Why what?" Mako made a big show of fiddling with the tea pot.

"Why Wu? I mean, why that guy? That specific guy?"

Mako sat for awhile, gathering his thoughts together. Bolin cleared the table of the remains of Mako's bun and the tea cups, washing them quickly. "He's smart, for one thing," he began slowly. "Which most people don't realize, I think. But he is. He rarely gets angry. In some ways he reminds me of you." A quick grin up. "Not in all ways." Bolin snorted at this. "He used to need me and I wanted that. I wanted to be needed, you know? But now...he doesn't need me any more. He's got his own life. I'm not even a part of what he's doing there in the Earth Kingdom, that's all on him. He's changing. Growing, I guess. So it isn't that he needs me any longer. But he wants me. I don't know why. I wasn't even very nice to him most of the time."

"You're nice in your own way. In your own Mako way."

Mako scoffed at this. "Yeah well, most people don't appreciate that. But he does, I guess. And I've missed him. We lived together for over two years, you know? He was a huge part of my life and I really miss having him around. I can't say that about most people I know, either." He sighed. "I want to know what it's like to be with him when he doesn't need me, you know? When I'm not working for him. When I can just relax and be myself. Not that I'm good at relaxing or anything, but you know what I mean. I want to get to know him when I can do all of those things I wanted to do but couldn't because I was working. Hold him. Kiss him. Talk to him without limits. I want to know who I'll be if I can do that. And I want to know who he'll be if I'm not his employee but his friend. And maybe more." He shrugged. "I don't know if that makes any sense. Probably not."

"It does make sense, actually. I know I like that about Opal. I feel like I can always be myself and that Opal likes me that way."

Mako smiled at him. "Opal has great taste." He got a little smile in return.

"That little tiny skinny guy, huh? I know you go for men sometimes, but he doesn't seem your type."

Mako shook his head and gazed down at his hands. "That's the thing. He really isn't my type. And I don't care at all. I don't care about any of that. I just want to see him. Talk to him. Hold him, if he'll let me. Make sure he's okay. See if he still smells just a little bit like jasmine and if he still crinkles up his nose a little when he laughs. He sticks his tongue out just the slightest bit when he's writing, and I want to see it. I used to think about it whenever I was reading his letters. I've memorized all of them now, which is kind of sad, I guess. I read them so many times. I just...I want to hear the sound of his voice. I've missed his voice. I never ever thought I would say that, he never shuts the fuck up. But I miss his voice. Everything seems so quiet now since he's been gone." He looked over to see Bolin staring at him. "What?"

"You've got it so bad. So so so bad. I had no idea you were even _capable_ of having it this bad. You, my dearest older brother, man who raised me, my favorite person on this entire earth short of Opal, are _seriously_ in love." Bolin was grinning from ear to ear.

"I guess."

"He guesses." Bolin rolled his eyes and appealed to the ceiling. "He guesses, he says. He _guesses_."

Mako had to laugh. "Go fuck yourself."

"I would, but I'm saving it for Opal tonight."

"TMI, Bo. TMI."

Bolin glanced at Mako's clock and quickly stood. "Speaking of which, I hate to cut this short but I really should get going. She's meeting me at the ferry and let me tell you, she sort of gets that whole Beifong woman thing going if I'm late." He made a terrifyingly accurate impression of the _Beifong Evil Eye_ glare at Mako. "Those Beifong women, I tell you. They're a little scary."

"Should we talk about the fact that you like your women a little scary?"

"Only if we can talk about the fact that you apparently like your men to hang all over you."

"Maybe we should just skip that conversation for now." Mako stood up. "So I'll see you at the coronation, huh?"

Bolin threw his arms around him in a big hug. "Just do me one favor, okay?"

Mako hugged him back. "What's that?"

"Be happy? Okay? Just...go there and be happy. Don't worry so much. Don't get hung up on everything. Don't get so stuck on worrying about the future that you can't enjoy the here and now. I know you, okay? And I love you and I want you to be happy, so if you think he'll make you happy then I'm glad. Just...enjoy your trip, okay? Don't make it into something harder than it is. I say this with love, you know."

Mako's arms tightened around him. "I know you do."

"Because I love you. I really really love you. And I want you to be happy."

"I love you too." They pulled back from each other. "You better run before Opal lets you have it. Tell her I said hi."

"I will do that. You have a safe trip, okay? See you in a few days." Bolin went out the door, flashing Mako a grin as he shut it behind him. Mako picked up the tea pot, taking it to the sink and absently rinsing out the tea leaves from inside. 

"Just be happy," he murmured to himself as he took up a dishrag. "Just be happy."


	12. A Tumultuous Reunion: Building A Fountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set about six months after the end of Chapter 2 of [Ten Years After The Fall.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3699647/chapters/82864786) There are references to Chapter 1 as well.
> 
> Baatar Junior arrives at the Northern Air Temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a birthday gift for my dear friend Jac, whose conversation, support and general loveliness have meant a great deal to me these past few months. More than she knows. Here's the bit you wanted to read, my dear. I hope you like it.

The airbender and his bison dropped him off on a large ledge. He slid down the side of the air bison - its fur was clogged with snow, and smelled just as bad as Baatar figured it might - and the airbender grinned down at him.

"There's not really a bell or anything to let them know you're here, you can just give them a shout or something. Not that they won't know you are coming, though. Huan's got that seismic thing going on, he can sense people through the rock." The airbender shook his head with another grin. "Earthbenders, right?"

"Right." This idiot didn't know the half of it, Baatar reflected.

The man pointed at an entrance carved into the side of the mountain. "Just go on through there." He jerked his thumb towards a much bigger entrance across the landing. "Blueberry - that's Ikki's bison - is over there." He squinted up into the sky. "Anyhow, storm's getting worse, so Spike and I are going to head back to our own ledge. If you need another lift down to the village have someone give me a heads up. We're on ferry duty this week, we can take you back whenever." The airbender gave his air bison a fond thump.

"Thanks," Baatar said. The word felt rusty in his mouth. Unused. The bison took off with a groan, leaving him alone on the ledge. He wrapped his arms around himself. The snow was coming down thickly and he could hardly see out of his glasses. He took them off, squinting around, trying not to shiver. If he'd thought it was cold in that spirits-forsaken village it was nothing compared to how icy it was up here on the mountain. He walked towards the smaller entrance, feet slipping a bit. He ran his fingers down the side of entrance; it undulated softly under his touch, swoops and swirls of volcanic glass. _Huan_ , he thought, and he stepped inside. Huan wasn't a builder; the sharp, precise lines that he himself had always preferred had never been something Huan had liked. Yes, he recognized Huan's organic touch in the rock.

His glasses fogged over as he put them back on; with a grunt of frustration he tugged his gloves off and opened his heavy coat to take the ends of his scarf and wipe them off. It made them temporarily worse but at least got the snow off of them before it started to melt. It was surprisingly warm inside the mountain. Baatar started to walk deeper in. He hadn't been warm in months. He'd lost weight, too. His beard looked like something a hermit would wear, or at least it had the last time he'd gotten a good look at himself. He avoided mirrors for the most part, though. He wasn't fond of looking at himself. On any level.

"You know either way works for me." A woman's voice. Light and warm, with an undercurrent of laughter. It must be Ikki, Tenzin's daughter. He'd never met her, never even seen her, short of a photograph Opal had shown him some months back. She'd grown into a stunning woman, that much he remembered from the photo. Tall. Had her airbender tattoos.

"The ovals look better at first glance, but I think the circles work better with the overall theme." Baatar's heart stuttered on him a little. There it was; Huan's deeper timbre, that baritone that had surprised them all when Huan was thirteen. Huan had been gangly and bone-thin; their mother's willowy build, always hidden behind that hair of his. Not the type you'd think to have a voice like that. Baatar himself had gone through a period of his voice wildly cracking and breaking, much to his embarrassment and Kuvira's teasing. _No, don't go there, don't think about it._ Huan, though, he'd gone to bed a boyish tenor and had seemingly woken up the next morning with a voice that was smooth and rich. Well. It wasn't like much else had ever been easy for him, was it?

"Well, could you do both?" The woman again.

"That wouldn't look good at all. It's a terrible idea." Ah, Huan. Tactful as ever. The woman just laughed, though.

"That's why I stick to flying and not designing floors."

Baatar was sweating through his clothes - none of which were too clean in the first place. He unslung the pack on his back before shrugging himself out of his fur-lined coat, pulling off his hat and scarf as well.  He left them all lying against the wall of the tunnel.

The woman suddenly laughed again. "Do the floor in a checkerboard. That'll show them who's boss!"

Huan chuckled and Baatar could hardly believe what he had heard. Huan _chuckling?_ "Just like that? Never mind the rest of the temple? Just a checkerboard because why not?"

"We can call it Ikki's corridor. Checkerboard floors! The scandal of it all!" The woman was clearly amused.

"Windows that won't go where they are told."

"A roof that refuses to behave!"

Now Huan _laughed_. When had Baatar ever heard Huan laugh like that? The Huan he remembered was quiet, often sullen, hiding behind his hair, avoiding people. This Huan was _laughing_.

"The walls will be covered in light rainbows," said Huan, and even Baatar could hear the smile in his voice. "Stained glass windows that will spill rainbows everywhere when the sun is out. Everyone who walks there will be happy, and they won't even know why. But we'll know why. It's Ikki's corridor, that's why. Five hundred years from now, joyous airbenders dancing in rainbows. Euphoria. There's your legacy."

"Oh, Huan," the woman said, and then there was a silence. Baatar moved forward; it was a private moment, he should call ahead, he should give some warning, but he crept along quietly until he came around the last bend, hiding himself in the shadows.

Huan was there, sitting cross-legged on the floor. His long hair was pulled back, away from his face, secured into a bun. When was the last time Baatar had seen his face like that? Clear of hair, exposed to the light?  _He looks so much like Mom_ , he thought, shocked for a moment. Huan was smiling into the woman's face; she was sitting on his lap, her legs wrapped around him and he had his arms in turn wrapped around her waist.

"I'll build it," Huan said softly, and he looked at the woman - at Ikki - with such intensity that Baatar's throat ached. His awkward younger brother, the boy that people had called damaged behind their hands, the miserable boy that had been teased and tormented, silent and unhappy, was looking at a woman that way. And she was looking back at him, smiling, with such love that Baatar found himself feeling guilty for intruding on this moment. He started to back up into the corridor but at that moment Huan's head turned.

"Who's there?" he asked, and his eyes automatically closed as one of his hands pulled away from Ikki's waist to slap the rock below. 

The woman - Ikki - turned her head as well. "Hello? Yung? Is that you?"

Baatar wavered for a moment. His first instinct was to run, but that was stupid. Run where? Back out to the ledge, into the storm? And then where? Off the side of the mountain? He cleared his throat and forced himself to walk into the room.

Ikki stared at him for a moment, puzzled. Huan opened his eyes, saw Baatar and froze. "Oh," he said, and then suddenly the Huan that Baatar remembered was back. Huan's arm slipped away from Ikki's waist and he put both hands to his head. "Oh," he said, his eyes starting to blink wildly and his breath starting to come faster. He started to shake his head. "Oh. Oh. It's...oh. Not now. No, no."

"Huan? Huan!" Ikki slid off of his lap and backed up slightly. "Huan, can you talk to me?"

Huan shook his head violently and started to rock back and forth. He moaned and pressed his face to his thighs.

"Okay," she said. "Okay, honey. It's going to be okay." She glanced over at Baatar. "Please stay right there." She sprang up, her breasts shifting. Her wingsuit was rolled down to her waist, her breasts barely contained by a bra. It had been a long time since Baatar had seen breasts. He tried not to stare. Her breasts were far more generous than Kuvira's had been, full and rounded where Kuvira's had been... _No, stop that._ He dropped his eyes.

Ikki walked quickly to the bed that was placed in one corner of the cavern and took a blanket from the top of it. Walking back over to Huan, she enveloped him in the blanket, careful not to touch him with her hands. He slumped down to the floor under the blanket. "I'll be here if you need me," she said quietly, and it was only then that she turned her attention to Baatar. She motioned him in and pointed to the opposite side of cavern, near another doorway. She put her finger to her lips. He followed her, trying not to stare at her. He must have failed, though, because she took a pair of ornate bracelets off her wrists and pulled her wingsuit back up, zipping it to her chin before putting the bracelets back on.

"We can speak, so long as we do it quietly," she said, keeping her voice hushed. "He just needs some peace and quiet right now to get ahold of himself." She looked Baatar up and down. "So. We finally meet. I'm Ikki, although I'm assuming you know that by now. People are looking for you, by the way. Your parents are frantic."

Baatar shrugged. His eyes went back to Huan, a huddled shape on the floor under the blanket. "Is he..."

"He's fine. He's upset and he needs to do what he's doing right now," Ikki said firmly. "He just needs some time alone to pull himself together. He's had a frustrating week and you showing up unannounced was obviously the straw that broke the camelelephant's back." She sighed. "You of all people should know he finds sudden big surprises like this difficult. It would have been better if you had let us know."

Baatar shrugged again. Ikki stared at him for a long time, saying nothing. Finally he scoffed. "What? Are you going to threaten to throw me off the mountain for being an asshole?"

"I'm an airbender. We don't throw people off of anything," she replied, refusing to take the bait. "Although I will have Yung and Spike escort you back to the village if you are disruptive up here. No, I was just thinking that you should really take a bath. You're fragrant, and not in a good way. Come on." She walked through the doorway, pointing to a hallway that curved to her left. "Blue, my air bison, is that way," she said, and walked to the right, into a bathroom. "It's not luxurious or anything, but we have running water. No hot water in the pipes yet, but we usually keep that tank hot." She pointed to a large metal tank. "Hot water in that one, you can use the buckets to fill the tub. The cold water runs into the tub as well. Soap is there," she pointed, "And towels are there as well." She gave him a look. "I don't think anything of Huan's will fit you, but you can at least put his robe on. I can borrow something later from one of the builders until...well. I was going to say until we can wash those clothes, but I'm not sure if we want to bother. Maybe we should just call them a loss and get you new ones."

Baatar stared at her. "What makes you think I am going to stay long enough for that?"

She looked at him. Her gaze was clear and direct, her gray eyes calm. "You've come thousands of miles to get here. It's not like there's a road you could drive on or a train that would get you here. You didn't come all this way just to stop by and say hello for five minutes. Not to mention, where else would you go? Zaofu? Republic City? Ba Sing Se? You and I both know better."

Baatar scoffed. He felt tears prick at the edges of his eyes and shook them off with a sneer.

Ikki continued. "I know Huan sent you those plans for the fountain; who do you think packaged them and made sure they were mailed?" She sighed. "Am I happy you're here? Not really, no. I think it is going to upset Huan terribly and the spirits themselves only know what some of our workers will think about having Baatar Beifong here and your mother will invariably hear about it and descend on this mountain and I know I don't have to tell _you_ what kind of a fuss that will be. And, let's face it, you've been nothing but surly and rude from the moment you walked in. That being said, your brother loves you, and he desperately wants to make things right with you. So for his sake, there's the damn soap. Make good use of it. Hair and beard too, while you're at it. When you're done, come back in and I'll give you some stew. It's vegetarian, but it's pretty good, and we've got fresh bread as well. I'll make some tea, too. Hopefully by that time Huan will feel ready to come out of the blanket."

He stared at her. He didn't know what to say.

She waited for a moment and then nodded. "Right." She walked towards the door before stopping and turning around again. "You should know that your brother told me what happened the night you and Kuvira took Zaofu."

Baatar flinched. "So I suppose you think I'm scum now, huh? Worse than you already thought?"

"I think that you're a very complicated man, yes. I also think that you need to talk to your brother. He blames himself, you know."

Baatar stared at her, incredulous. "What? How the fuck could he blame _himself_?"

Ikki never took her eyes away from his. "Because he thinks that if he had used his bending against Kuvira she wouldn't have continued to hurt you."

Baatar sagged against the wall. "But...none of that was his fault. He wasn't responsible for any of that. If he had tried she would have had half of her army on top of him, that's what she wanted anyhow, any excuse. As it was..." he swallowed and closed his eyes, "...as it was, she probably would have killed him that night. If he had given her any resistance at all, she would have. If I hadn't walked in when I did..." He put a shaky hand to his temple.

"I understand that. Well. I don't understand why Kuvira was the way she was, but I mean that I understand that the both of you did the best that you could that night. You and Huan, I mean. But Huan, no matter how many times I try to tell him this, he won't believe it. He needs to hear it from you. Not tonight - spirits! Not tonight! But soon. _You_ need to tell him that. You owe him that."

Baatar nodded. "I know. It's been...it's been weighing on me for ten years now. I know I do." He looked back over at Ikki. "Look, I'm not a nice man. I know this. I'm not a good man, either. I don't even know what that means any more, not really. I don't blame you for disliking me. Most people do. I get that you probably don't want me here. But I want to build him that fountain. I need to do it. I _need_ to."

"I know you do," she said. "And he needs you to do it as well." She gave him a little smile, slightly sardonic. "Just try not to be an utter prick about it, okay? You can stay up here with us tonight, the storm's picking up, I can feel it, and there's no point in any of us going back out into it to try and find you somewhere else to sleep. Just scrub yourself and come in and have some dinner, and please, try to take it easy on your brother tonight. As it is he'll probably drink some tea and go straight to bed, when this happens to him it exhausts him. We can talk it over in the morning." She walked out through the open doorway. "Welcome to the Northern Air Temple, Baatar," came her voice from the hallway, and then she was gone.

He stood there for a few moments. He _wasn't_ a nice man. He knew this. He would probably fuck things up here. Destroy the peace and happiness his brother had clearly found with that woman in this place. He should walk away now, go back to the village, keep walking. He could change his name, go somewhere where no one would recognize him. He had useful skills, he could easily make his way. Make himself into a new person, leave it all behind him. It would be the right thing to do, even if Huan might not understand it. He felt pretty sure Ikki would understand it, though. She would, at least.

He should do it. He should go. He should just keep going until Baatar Beifong, Junior was no more. He should just cut his ties, leave all of the pain and disappointment and hurt and rage behind. Become someone new. New and better. Clean. Whole.

He reached for the soap and clutched it into his hands before sliding down the wall to the floor.

For the first time in ten years, Baatar wept.


	13. A Caliginous Contemplation: How Soon Is Now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set right after Qi tells Mako that Qi was not aware of the Royalist connection in the middle of Chapter Seven of [A Song Of Spring And Autumn.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4284207?view_full_work=true)
> 
> Qi sits in the dark.

Well, at least I won't have Mako on my ass about the damn Royalists. I try to avoid being on his bad side. Not that he's a man that goes towards violence first or anything like that. Even still. All I need is for him to freeze me out, make things harder than they are. Not to mention I don't want to lose what regard he has for me.

He would have never appreciated Wu the way Wu was today, though. The Wu I saw today didn't need anyone's protection, and Mako, he lives and breathes to protect what he considers his.

I'm not sure if he considers me his. Does it matter? I guess he considers me Wu's, so it's all the same in the end.

I can't believe I told Wu that thing about the doll. I don't know what came over me. I don't, I really don't. Stupid of me. Not that he didn't feel for me, I know he did. He always feels for everyone, wears his heart on his sleeve. I could tell him things, I know I could, he'd never laugh at me or dismiss me, I know him well enough by now to know that.

He'd pity me, though, and I don't want to see pity in his eyes. I don't want him to pity me. I know he won't love me the way I want him to. I know it. I accept it. But I can't take it if he pities me.

I should go, I know I should go. Not just to work for Asami Sato, although it would be a good job and she'd be good to work for, I think. But it's not enough. I should leave the damn city, just go. I've got the yuan for it, I've been putting it all away since I started working for him and Mako showed me how to invest it. I wouldn't be rich or anything, but I could get myself a little place somewhere, open up a little shop, tinker with my engines. Or go the opposite way, go to another city, take on the embroidery work, I'm good enough with it that I'd get commissions. Not bragging, just the truth. Reinvent myself. Again. 

Who would I be this time?

Not the child of a whore. Not the child that lived on the streets. Qi kept those things because I couldn't leave them behind me, couldn't read or write, could only transform myself a little. And anyhow, I was just a child. But now? Can't fix the voice, nothing I can do about that, but it could be due to childhood sickness instead of being damn near strangled to death. I could have a mother and a father, a whole family. Grandparents. And if that imaginary family looked a little bit like the one I live with now, who would know? I can read and write now. I can speak without the accent, I've lived for years with all of them, I could sound like Wu if I wanted to.

People will believe whatever they see. Dress like a man? That's what they'll see. Dress like a woman? That's what they'll see as well. Move in a certain way, walk and talk and sit in the ways they expect and they'll never question you. You can fade into the background, you can become invisible, keep your head down, stay low, keep to the shadows.

Until the day you can't take it any longer and you borrow a damn car to take it for a spin and you get caught. Stupidest thing I've ever done. Should have known I was going to get caught. Broke my own rules and look what's come of it? He showed up in that green suit and he fed me and looked me in the eyes and smiled at me, asked me my name, listened to me when I spoke. Welcomed me into his world, that strange world of princes and Avatars and wealth and eccentricities. The man rode a badgermole and tore up half the train tracks. If he'd been someone like me they'd have put him away for being crazy. But princes aren't crazy, just eccentric. Big difference. Always good to keep it in mind.  

I should have said no when he tossed me those keys. I should have walked away, even if it had meant a little prison time. Gone back to being anonymous. People on the street left me alone, a few quick slashes with my knife and they learned soon enough not to fuck with Qi. I can't say I was happy, but I lived my life on my own terms.

How could I say no? I was already half in love with him, people who tell you there's no such thing as love at first sight have never felt it. There is. Might not be the love you were hoping for, might not be a love you get returned, might not be a love that lasts, but it's real, and it's not just about wanting to fuck somebody, either. It happens. It did to me.

Now, all these years later, how could I leave? Leave little Zhi, with all of his questions, with his desperate need to be reassured and cared for? I love that boy. Oh, I love the girls as well, love Naoki's fight and fire and sass, and who doesn't love that sweet Meili? Everybody loves Meili. But that boy, he wants so much to connect, and the other kids, they tease him, don't understand him. He sounds like a damn adult, he's got no idea how to connect to kids his own age. I was never smart like that, but I know how it feels to be on the outside, always looking in. He asked me, once, if I knew why his mother would just abandon him the way she did, and I wanted to cry right then and there. _Oh baby,_ I told him, _Sometimes mothers, they can't manage things. Sometimes they die, sometimes life just takes them over. Sometimes life is just too hard for people, they can't go on living in it. But your Mama, she carried you for all those months, she gave you life. You'll never know why she left you there, but you'll always know she gave herself to create you. She lives in you._ And that boy, he crawled right into my lap and wrapped his arms around me and cried and cried. I let him, too, because who ever cared enough about me to hold me when my heart was breaking? Only Drunk Una, and only when she wasn't passed out on the floor. Which wasn't that often.

Wu would have held me when I was telling him about the doll. I could see he wanted to, but he kept his hands to himself because I'm so standoffish. I can't. I can't let him hold me. I don't know what I'd do - kiss him? Beg him to love me back? I'd just end up horrifying both of us and ruining everything.

Why did I take his hands? I'm such a damn fool. So soft, his hands, he's never done a day's hard work in his life. Those hands, they don't want to touch me, not in the way I want them to.

He put his arms around me and for one second, just one, I pretended like it was because he wanted me and not just because he's impulsive and hugs everyone. 

I should go.

I should go. 

I hate myself for not going.

I hate Wu for loving me but not loving me the way I want him to.

I hate Mako for knowing how I feel about his husband and for just letting it be. I hate him for sometimes coming into my dreams with those big strong hands, I hate him for those times I wake up, burning and with nothing but my own hands to try to get me back to sleep. No one's ever touched me that way, not the way he does when I'm dreaming, and it hurts too much to wake up alone in that bed as always.

I hate Lin for her kindnesses to me, especially since I suspect she, more than any of the rest of them, understands me. 

I hate LoLo for always looking out for me, for making sure I'm cared for.

I hate Wei for his easy friendship, for never once trying to pry or expecting me to be anything I'm not.

I hate those children...no. No. I don't hate those children. I love those children.

I don't hate any of them. Not really. That's obvious, or why would I still be here? But I should go. I came out of the shadows today, and it's not safe for me. If I were smart I'd get on a train first thing tomorrow and just go wherever it took me, start all over again. But I've been telling myself that for years now, and look where I am.

I won't leave tomorrow. I'm too weak for that. I'll put on my armor and I'll go and attend a wedding of people who have always been nothing but kind to me. And I'll probably have a good time, those Beifongs, they know how to throw a party. Because I do have good times. My life, it's good. I have people who care about me now. I'm never cold or hungry, never alone unless I choose to be. I get to do the things I love. I can read and write, I can even manage to cook for myself now, thanks to LoLo. I've got money saved up, enough so I don't have to worry about my future. I go out with Wei sometimes, and it's fun. Every night I eat dinner with that family and I'm loved and included.

But I should go. Because one of these days, I'm going to accidentally let down my guard too much, and spirits know what will happen, because I don't. 

I shouldn't have gone to their bedroom. Wu told me he'd tell Mako and I know he would have, he keeps his word. Why did I do it? I'm slipping, I need to be more careful.

I know who I am. I live who I am, even if I don't share it with everyone else. I don't apologize for who I am and I never will. I'm me. Even if that means no one else wants me. I'm never going back to being someone I'm not, just to make it easier for other people to put me in a nice little box that has never felt right to me. I won't do it.

I'm so lonely, though. I am sick to damn death of being so lonely. How is it that I can sit in a room of people and still feel alone? Why do I stick around?

I should go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember distinctly the first time I heard that opening guitar riff of The Smiths' "How Soon Is Now?" Johnny Marr somehow managed to put all of the loneliness I was feeling - and had always felt - into a single sound. It sounded like someone was sobbing. And then the lyrics!
> 
> I knew this was Qi's song from the moment Qi appeared on the page.


	14. A Whirlwind Of Revelation: If I've Gone Overboard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set about six months after Baatar Junior arrives at the Northern Air Temple.
> 
> Huan goes on a trip. Ikki and Baatar have a chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so many requests to continue with this particular story/plot line that I have actually gone ahead and started to write a full length piece about it. You can still read this drabble, of course; however, it has been tweaked a bit and is now Chapter One of I Do Not Ask the Night for Explanations.

"Are you sure?" Ikki tucked a wayward lock into the bandanna she was using to keep her hair back. It was windy out on the ledge by the dormitories.

Huan nodded. "Last time they brought the wrong things back." His eyes slid sideways to Yung, who was checking the buckles on Spike's saddle straps. Yung shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't know a gosh darn thing about art one way or the other, sorry to say. Here, Spike, move over a little bit, I can't fit between you and the mountain!"

"You don't know Ba Sing Se at all but Yung grew up there. It makes more sense to go with him. And with Chol." Chol was the foreman that Baatar Senior had sent from Zaofu to oversee their project. He had worked for the Beifong family for nearly twenty-five years and didn't stand on ceremony with any of them, Baatar Junior included. Huan shifted his small pack on his back and jabbed his toe into the rock. "It will be okay. I don't like the city but it won't kill me or anything. Also, I like Spike." He thumped Spike and got a friendly bellow in return. "He won't make me too sick, right Spike?"

"Okay, last call here. Add it to my list or forever hold your peace." Chol dumped his own pack next to Spike. "So you've got everything you need, right Huan?" At Huan's nod he took a pencil from behind his ear and scribbled something down. "I'm estimating it will take us five days round trip once we get all of the supplies up and loaded, that sort of thing. If I think we're going to be any longer than that I'll radio, but here's hoping we'll be in and out without much fuss. Junior! You've got those measurements for me?"

Baatar came out from an entrance cut out into the mountain. "Right here." He handed over a piece of paper. Ikki knew he loathed being referred to as Junior; however, he put up with it from Chol. No one else could get away with it, though. The six months that Baatar had been living at the temple had made some improvement, at least; he'd put on some much needed weight and Huan had cut his hair short again. He'd shaved off his beard, too, which improved his looks tenfold as far as Ikki was concerned. (It also brought out his resemblance to Huan.) His much mended eyeglasses had finally been replaced, thanks to a traveling oculist in the local village that Ikki - with some backup from Chol - had bullied him into going to see. There was some early gray at his temples, but he wore it well. Ikki had noticed several of the women in the village giving him speculative looks whenever they took a trip down the mountain.

His attitude hadn't really changed all that much, however. He was still surly, sullen and generally fairly unpleasant to be around. Ikki spent a good portion of her day gritting her teeth and putting up with him because Huan was glad to have him there. She'd put up with a lot to see Huan happy, even if it meant Baatar skulking around their ledge, mouthing off with his sarcastic comments.

Chol took Baatar's list. "Hydroponics is what they're calling them, eh? Well, if anyone was going to figure it out it was going to be you. It works, you say?"

Baatar nodded. "I've been reading about them. It would solve some of our food problems until we can get a decent greenhouse built. I think I can improve on the basic design."

"Growing food inside a mountain. Now I've heard everything. Well, I always knew you were the smartest of all the Beifongs. No offense, Huan."

"No offense taken," said Huan. He had moved over to stand next to Ikki. "It's true." He rested his cheek against the top of her head. "I'll miss you."

She wrapped her arms around him. "Right back at you." She squeezed. "You'll make your cousins welcome, right?"

"They technically aren't my cousins. They are related to Aunt Lin but not us."

Ikki waved this off. "Close enough. I'm just glad they're coming." She refrained from mentioning the workers who had left when Baatar had shown up, refusing to work with him. They'd lost five of their workers over his sudden appearance - two of them metalbenders - and Ikki hadn't known what to do to replace them. Not that Baatar had acknowledged it, of course, never mind given anyone an apology. She and Chol had discussed trying to advertise in some of the bigger cities when a letter had arrived two months ago from Lin Beifong telling them that her nephew on her paternal side, Kwan, was interested in joining them up north. He'd worked as a metalbender for the Ba Sing Se Public Works for over ten years; Ikki knew they were damn lucky to get him. Coming along with him was his cousin Bora, an earthbender and someone that Lin had described as "a fairly decent cook." High praise, from Lin. Ikki was really hoping she knew some vegetarian recipes; she wasn't much of a cook herself and was heartily tired of eating the same two or three dishes she could reliably make. 

"Okay, let's load him up," said Yung, and Chol obligingly bent a set of rock steps leading up to Spike's saddle. Since Chol was going to be gone they'd given all of the workers a well-deserved holiday; most of the workers had decided to hitch a ride with Yung down to the nearest village, where a summer festival was being held. Two of their workers were going along to Ba Sing Se as well, leaving a bare handful of people on the mountain. Ikki was looking forward to a little peace and quiet. 

Ikki kissed Huan. "Be good. Have some fun! I'll see you when you get back. You have your sour plum balls for your stomach?" Huan brandished a striped candy bag at her and then surprised her with a long and sweet kiss of his own before climbing up to Spike's saddle. Ikki waved as Spike took off, his saddle crammed full of workers, leaving her alone on the ledge. She made her way into the mountain, taking the stairs that Chol had quickly bent out of the rock to connect the dormitories to the ledge that she and Huan had first settled on when they had arrived the previous year. She walked past Blueberry, laying in her cave. Blue swung her head around to grunt plaintively at Ikki.

"Don't look at me like that! We'll go out tomorrow, what do you say, girl? I just want to get a few things done here, okay? Tomorrow we'll go for a nice long fly, maybe stop off at the village for a visit. Sound good?" She had plans for the day, which included a long hot bath, a pumicing of her feet and a nap. Possibly a letter to Rohan if she felt up to it. None of those plans involved thinking about the building of the Northern Air Temple. Not a single one of them. Blue smelled the moon peaches Ikki had brought for her and rumbled her pleasure. Ikki handed them over with an affectionate slap before continuing on to the large room she and Huan shared.

Baatar was in their room, sitting at the desk Huan had pulled out of the rock. Ikki fought back a huff of annoyance. He had his own room down in the dormitories where the single workers lived. He rarely stayed there, though. He always seemed to be underfoot and Ikki could not, for the life of her, understand why. He talked to Huan, of course, but his interactions with Ikki were cursory at best. Which was an improvement over his interactions with the rest of the staff. He was curt with everyone but Chol. Ikki couldn't fault him for not working hard - Baatar worked very hard, and while Ikki didn't know a thing about engineering even she could see that he was making useful improvements left and right - but she wished he'd glower at everything somewhere else for a change.

"Consider yourself warned. I'm going to take a hot bath and a nap." She untied the bandanna from around her head. Her wingsuit was in dire need of a wash, but she'd just put on some of her airbender robes and call it a day. She had put in an order from Asami to get several replacement suits for Yung as well as herself; Asami was going to send them along to Ba Sing Se and Yung was to pick them up.

"Whatever," Baatar muttered, not looking up from his papers.

Ikki sat down on the bed to yank her boots off. "Why didn't you go down to the village with everyone else?"

"I'm busy," he said, not looking up. "And rustics dancing around drinking fermented buffalo yak milk is not my idea of a good time."

 _You wouldn't know a good time if it reared up and bit you on the ass_ , thought Ikki, but she attempted to keep her cool and channel her Inner Jinora. "Well, I'm going to head down tomorrow, so if you want a ride let me know."

He didn't answer. Ikki suppressed a sigh. Huan and Baatar were different in so many ways, but they both got caught up their work. Baatar responded to interruptions with as little grace and patience as Huan; his social skills weren't the best either, although Ikki wasn't sure how much of that was deliberate. Huan simply didn't comprehend how other people operated; Baatar didn't seem to care.

She was grateful for the improvements he'd made in bathroom, though. He'd done that on his second day on the mountain; she'd woken up to find him in there with a look of fierce concentration on his face, wearing Huan's robe and using tools he'd found Raava knew where, snapping at Ikki when she asked him what on earth he was doing. They now had hot water running directly into the tub as well as cold. Ikki adjusted the water temperature and left the tub to fill while she put a kettle on for tea.

"Do you want some tea?" she asked. Baatar grunted in response. Could he not answer with a simple yes or no? She checked on her bathwater and then poured out two cups, putting one on the desk in front of him. As per usual, he didn't acknowledge it or thank her. Huan might not always understand other people but he at least had decent manners. She took her own tea into the bathroom, quickly peeling off her wingsuit and stepping into the tub. The water was slightly too hot, just how she liked it. She took a swallow of her tea and closed her eyes.

"So are you planning to meet up with that man in the village?" Baatar spoke up from the other room.

Ikki opened her eyes. "Pardon?"

"The man who lives near the marketplace. You planning on meeting him?"

So much for a relaxing hot bath. "Not that it is any of your business - because it _isn't_ \- but if you are trying to ask in a non-direct way if I am having some sort of an affair with him, then the answer is that yes, I sometimes have sex with him."

There was a silence. Ikki drank some of her tea and sunk a little deeper into the water.

"So that's your entire answer?"

Nope. She was feeling the exact opposite of relaxed now. The air in the bathroom started to slowly move.

"In the first place, I don't owe you an answer of any kind. If you're worried about your brother's feelings then ask him. But just so you know, he is aware of what's going on and he's fine with it. It's part of how our relationship works."

"So you just fuck whomever and he's supposed to be happy about it?" She couldn't see him in the other room but his voice was tight.

"Huan and I have an open relationship. It works for us, and it's nobody's business but our own."

"I don't see him sleeping around."

Ikki attempted calm. "You should have this conversation with him. He does speak for himself, you know." The air current in the bathroom picked up just slightly.

"I'm having it with _you_."

"I guess it's just my lucky day, then. Look. Your brother doesn't have a very high sex drive. I do. He's not interested in having sex with other people. If he was, I'd be fine with that."

"Would you?"

Ikki didn't answer. It was too complicated to explain to people. Huan only had sex when he had a deep connection with someone. Sex was a part of love for him, unlike how it was for her. If he was having sex with someone, it meant he loved that person, and while Ikki wouldn't care if he was having no-strings sex, she would be devastated if he fell in love with someone else. Well, the point was moot. It was pretty unlikely to be an issue, now or in the future. She'd cross that bridge if she came to it.

"Do you love my brother?"

That Ikki could answer. "Yes. Oh yes. More than I thought I could ever love anybody."

"But you still cheat on him."

Ikki could feel her temper rising along with a few gusts of wind. Her Inner Jinora was beginning to crumble. "I am not _cheating_ on him. We have discussed this, at length, and we are both fine with it. I don't sneak around behind his back. I would never bring anyone home. I don't have an emotional relationship with Gen, although I am fond of him. Sex and love don't necessarily go hand in hand for everyone, you know." The towels started to flutter a bit.

"I know." 

She guessed he might, at that. "Look at it this way. I'm a vegetarian, right? But Huan isn't. I would never try to deny him whatever it is he wants to eat. Why should he have to change what he eats and enjoys simply because of my own beliefs? Your brother loves me, and yes, we do have sex, but not as often as I would like. That's just who he is. I accept him for that and I love him. He accepts that my sexual needs are different than his own and he loves me. There's no need for either one of us to change ourselves in order to accommodate the other one in bed. I'm discreet, I don't have emotional relationships with the people I am having sex with. I never use it as a weapon against him. I'm happy because I'm being sexually fulfilled and he's happy because he's also being sexually fulfilled in his own way." Ikki sat up in the tub. "All of these ridiculous notions of long-term forced monogamy aside - and I have never understood it, _never_ \- Huan and I are _happy_. What difference does it make to anyone else what we do to get to that place of happiness? We might be breaking tradition, but we aren't breaking any laws. We aren't breaking any hearts, either." She lay back down. "And now, if you don't mind, I am going to finish my tea and take the relaxing bath I came in here to do." One of the towels flew off of its hook. She glared at it before attempting inner calm.

She sucked at inner calm.

Baatar was silent.

For a time.

"I guess I just don't understand how you can fuck someone you don't love. Because that's what you're doing, right? Fucking?"

Her Inner Jinora winked out of existence completely as the wind picked up. "I really don't give a damn if you understand or not! It's not your business! I'm finished with this conversation! In fact, I am finished with you today. Get out of my room." Her tea cup abruptly flew off of the counter and shattered on the floor. "Shit! Shit!" 

"Are you okay?"

She took several deep breaths, trying to settle both herself and the air in the bathroom down. She was losing control like she was a toddler. What was wrong with her? She knew better than to let him get to her that way. "I'm fine. I broke my cup. It doesn't matter. Look. Please talk to your brother about this, okay? I get that you love him and you care about him and don't want him to get hurt. I would feel the same way if it were one of my siblings. But he's the one you need to talk to."

"I've already talked to him about it."

Ikki's fingers clenched around the edge of the tub. "Then why are you bringing it up with _me_?" She was going to kill him, oath of non-violence be damned. The wind, which had started to settle down, picked up again.

He didn't answer. Ikki pulled herself out of the water, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herself before stomping back into the main room, just managing to avoid a shard of broken crockery in her foot. Baatar was sitting at the desk still, tea sitting untouched.

"What is your damage? Seriously! I don't get you, I really don't. You come here unannounced, break up the peace of this mountain. We lost five workers because of you and your past, and you've never even apologized! You're rude and surly to everyone. You're clearly unhappy here. So why stay? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all you've done, but frankly I'd rather hire someone less gifted than you with a better attitude. I get that you've have a bad time the past years-"

"You don't get that at all." That got him to look up from the desk. His eyes were furious behind their lenses. "Don't pretend you know what I went through."

Ikki threw a hand out, and his clothes fluttered. "I never said I knew what you went through. I just acknowledged that things were difficult for you. Spirits, Baatar! You aren't the be-all end-all of human suffering, you know! It's probably too much to ask for you to be pleasant, but could you at least try for civility? Shit! You'd think you were the only person in this world to ever shed a tear. There are plenty of people out there who have suffered through no fault of their own. That Colossus was your fault!" 

"I'm well aware of that," he snarled, lunging out of his seat. "I don't need to be lectured by a little girl with Daddy issues."

"Says the man with such Mommy issues that he got into bed with a dictator to show her up!"

"Don't bring my mother into this!"

"And I told you to get out of my room. Get out of my room!" 

"So my brother leaves and you'll just go there and fuck your way through that village?" He grabbed at the bracelet on her left wrist and she struggled to keep the towel up.

"You talked to him! If you talked to him then I _know_ he told you he was fine with it! So why do you care? What's it to you, anyhow? Oh! You make me so damn angry!" She closed her eyes in order to get control of herself; the wind was moving freely around the room now, and she needed to make it stop. She took a deep belly breath and felt her towel sag down.

Fingers brushed across the top of her exposed breasts. Her eyes flew open to see Baatar looking at her with such naked and desperate need that she impulsively put her palm to his chest. "Oh. _Oh_." Oh, for the love of Raava. _That's_ why he was asking. Oh spirits, how had she not figured it out? "Baatar," she said, helplessly, and then his mouth was on hers, fierce and hot. It was good. It was so good. He kissed her like a man desperate for life, and the part of her mind that could still process thought figured he probably was. She'd been kissed plenty of times but never like this. His mouth was bruising hers and for a wild moment she actually considered dropping her towel. Sense took over, however, and she pushed back at his chest and tore her lips away from his. "No. No. Not angry sex, not like this. I don't do that. Not angry like this, I don't like it."

 _Liar_ , her body said, but she knew she couldn't. Not with him. She took a deliberate step back and swallowed, hitching her towel back up. "I told you. Outside of your brother I don't do emotional attachments. Are you trying to tell me you aren't feeling emotionally attached right now? Because _I'm_ feeling pretty emotionally attached. And _that_ would be cheating on your brother." Oh spirits, she wanted to. She wanted him to throw her back against the wall and fuck her until she couldn't see straight, until she couldn't remember her name and wouldn't even care. But he wasn't someone just passing through. He was Huan's _brother_ , for the love of Raava. And she didn't even like him all that much. She took another step back. "Look, I get that it's been awhile for you. Maybe you should take a trip to the village, take the edge off. Xiu that works at the bakery is always up for a good time, and I've seen her giving you the eye. She's a lot of fun, no strings attached, I speak from experience." His own eyes widened and she mentally slapped herself. _Not the time to bring_ _that up, you idiot_ , she chided herself.

"I don't go around fucking people," he said, his voice cold. "I don't do that."

Ikki tried to process this. "But you and Kuvira..."

He took in a ragged breath. "I loved her." He looked away. "She's been the only one. You know."

Oh _spirits_. Oh, what a mess. Despite herself she felt sorry for him. "Oh, Baatar..."

"Don't you do that. Don't you feel sorry for me. Just... _don't_. I don't need anyone's pity. Bad enough I have to put up with it from Huan. I'm not putting up with it from you."

"Look, Baatar, I don't know if you think you have feelings for me-"

"Oh, so now you're telling me what my feelings are?"

"No! Of course I'm not!" She stopped herself. "Well. I guess I was. I'm sorry. Truly." She backed up until she sat down on the bed, making sure her towel was secure. "I just...you should find someone else. Someone who is not already in a relationship with your brother, for one thing. Someone who would treat you with all of the care you deserve. And you do deserve it."

Baatar scoffed. "Oh, so it's just as easy as that, is it?" He folded his arms across his chest. "Just run right out and find someone else to fall in love with!"

"You're not in love with me!"

Baatar stared at her. Little things began to click into place for her. The way that Baatar always went out of his way to fix or improve things around her room for her. How he'd always bring her up food she could eat from the village when he made trips there. All of the time he spent doing his work in their room instead of his own. "But...you've never said anything about it."

"Not all of us talk as much as you do."

"Unbelievable. Are you actually trying to make a declaration of love by insulting me?"

He grimaced. "I didn't...I didn't mean it that way. Sometimes things come out of my mouth all wrong. I'm not very good at this kind of thing."

"Please don't take this the wrong way. But are you sure? You've been through a difficult time and I'm the nearest woman around..." she trailed off at the derisive look on his face.

"So now I'm so desperate for a fuck that I can't tell the difference between love and lust?"

"Does everything have to be a battle of words with you?"

He scoffed and ran a hand through his hair. "Usually, yeah."

"I'm not a fighter. In case you hadn't noticed. I don't get off on that whole dynamic. Maybe it was how things were with Kuvira -" that got a distinctly unhappy laugh out of him, "-but that's not who I am. I loathe conflict."

"So I've noticed."

She shrugged helplessly. "Well, there you have it. If that sort of angry dynamic is what you are looking for, you aren't going to get it from me." She leaned back for a moment. "So that's why you were being such a prick today? Foreplay? Listen, I'm not kidding. I don't like it. It stresses me out and does _not_ get me in the mood."

"Less about foreplay and more about go with what you know."

That actually got a laugh out of her, and he surprised her by grinning back at her. He _never_ smiled. He had that same cocky Beifong grin that she'd seen on his twin brothers. It transformed his face entirely. She wasn't sure a smiling Baatar was necessarily a good thing to have standing a meter away from her when she was just in a towel. No. Scratch that. She was _sure_ it wasn't.

He sat back down in the chair at the desk. "I'm an engineer. We fix things. Build things out of nothing. I'm not afraid of work. I'm not afraid to fail, either. Failure is just one step in success. I learn from my failures." He looked at her steadily. "I love my brother. I am not going to do anything to hurt him. I've hurt him enough already for a lifetime and more. But I'm not leaving. I'm not quitting. On him, on this place. On you. Today was a failure. Okay. Fine. I'll try again."

"Baatar! This is crazy. I don't even like you all that much. And can you blame me? You're not even nice to me! What makes you think I want you to try again?"

He moved out of the chair and was across the room before Ikki could think to move out of the way. He tugged her up, and heedless of her towel's inevitable descent, kissed her again. Oh spirits but he was a good kisser. She knew she should pull back again, keep her distance, be rational about this.

Fuck it. She hadn't been rational a single day in her life. Her body overrode her brain and she kissed him back, the towel caught between their bodies as she fisted her hands into his tunic. Finally, when he pulled away, they were both breathless. "That's how I know," he whispered into her ear. She clutched at the towel and belatedly tried to put it back into place.

Oh, the cocky cocky _bastard_.

He walked towards the door. "If you're going down the mountain tomorrow I'll go with you." He met her eyes. "I'm not Huan, by the way. I care about who you are fucking."

"That's going to be a problem, then," she said before she thought it through. _Stop it_ , she told herself.  _It's not a problem! You are not in a relationship with this man!_ "And what about your brother? Did you ever stop to think about how he would feel about this?"

"I talked to him about it last week. Why do you think he went to Ba Sing Se? You know how much he hates cities." With that he walked out the door.

Ikki opened her mouth. Nothing came out. She closed her mouth. She sat back down on the bed. Her mouth opened again, but there was still nothing.

"Enjoy your bath," came from down the hall, and she slowly leaned over to rest her forehead on her knees.

"I am in so much fucking trouble," she said softly, but there was no one there to answer her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this particular plot line in my head for a long time. It wasn't inspired by a song, but as I was writing it the song [Crash Into Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU2E1lX1geY) by the Dave Matthews Band kept coming into my head. It fits, and that's where the title came from.


	15. An Afternoon's Expenditure: Shopping At The Mall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This takes place immediately after the end of [A Song of Spring and Autumn.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4284207/chapters/9703725)
> 
> This is for all of the retail workers out there on Black Friday; musicboxbunny, especially.

"Are you _sure_ you don't carry this in yellow?" The woman waved a tunic at Kyra, nearly hitting her in the face with it.

"I'm very sure, madame. It only comes in green and blue." Kyra took a step back. The woman had clearly had fish for her lunch; her breath was overwhelming.

"Maybe you should check in the back." The woman stepped right back into Kyra's space.

"Madame, I can _assure_ you, we don't carry it in any other color but green and blue."

"I've seen it in yellow. I know I have."

"Not in our shop you haven't," Kyra said, putting on her best fake smile and thinking, not for the first time, that there had to be better work than this. She caught a sympathetic look from one of her fellow shop girls who was busy picking up discarded articles of clothing from the wrong shelves. It was the biggest sale of the season at the Little Ba Sing Se Mall, and of course two of the other shop girls had called in sick. _Sick my ass_ , Kyra thought, jerking her head back as the woman waved the tunic in her face again. She'd only been at work for two hours and she'd already been yelled at, threatened, and had a sticky hand print on the backside of her own tunic where a nasty little boy had shoved at her. She loathed sale days. _Loathed_ them. There was what promised to be a corker of a headache gathering at the base of her skull.

"I demand to speak to the owner!" The woman brandished the tunic like a weapon. "I know you have this tunic in yellow! I've seen it!"

"Ma! I want it in yellow," shrieked the girl standing next to her, stamping her foot. "I hate blue! I want yellow!"

"Well, it's not as if yellow would suit you anyhow," said a man from behind her. "And _do_ let off with that howling. At your age! The very _idea_!" Kyra turned to look at him. _Rich_ , was her immediate thought. _Too rich to be shopping here._ He looked like he belonged in the upper ring shops, at the very least, where all of the designer clothes were located.  Although the suit he was wearing was probably bespoke; it was in greens and yellows, what looked to be a summer-weight wool with silk accents. It was gorgeous. She didn't even want to guess how much his shoes had cost. A small fortune, she was sure.

"I beg your pardon!" the woman exclaimed frostily, drawing herself upwards in indignation. Her daughter gaped at him.

"Only if you do it on yer knees," muttered the boy standing next to the rich man. He was dressed in some sort of uniform and Kyra could barely hear him. His voice was soft and hoarse, as if he had a cold or something. Kyra hoped not; all she needed was to pick up more germs than what people were already bringing in.

"My dear madame," said the rich man with a little half smile on his face, "You may beg if you really wish to, but it would cause _such_ a scene. In any case, this lovely young lady here was already assisting me." He waved the woman and her daughter away with a little motion of his hands. "Whoosh whoosh!"  He turned to Kyra and unleashed a full smile, his mouth curving up and his very green eyes sparkling behind a pair of gold wire spectacles. "Now then! Excellent!" He peered at her name tag. "Ah! Miss Kyra then, is it? Lovely, just lovely. I am in need of some clothing for a twelve year old boy. I have it on the best authority that your shop caters to children, yes?" 

Kyra nodded, fairly speechless. The man beamed at her. "Just the news I was hoping for!" He reached over and tucked her hand into his arm, escorting her as if she was a well-born lady at some sort of gala event. Kyra found herself standing just a little taller without even meaning to. "I have a twelve year old boy staying with me for three weeks who only has enough clothes for a weekend on his person. I did manage to get his basic measurements. I was going to go to the upper ring, naturally, but my husband informs me that I am overdoing it as usual. Not to mention they really don't do off the rack up there. So here I am. Now." He stopped suddenly and looked at the boy with him. "Are you laughing at me?" He put on an offended face, but even Kyra could see it was for show; he ruined it by smiling again.

"Did you just pull a Nuo on that lady?" the uniformed boy said in that odd voice with a grin and waved his hands in an imitation of what the rich man had done. He stood very close to the rich man, nearly elbow to elbow. "Did you really just say whoosh whoosh to her?"  On second thought, Kyra thought, looking more closely at him, he was too old to be a boy. A woman dressed in male clothing? A very young-looking man? Kyra wasn't sure. 

"It always seems to work for Nuo," said the rich man, and he laughed. The uniformed boy just shook his head at back at him. 

"Reckon you need to look like you're gonna bite someone when you say it." 

"True. I don't have nearly the same vehemence in my tone." He turned his attention back to Kyra. "Now then! Forgive our ramblings. I have his measurements here." He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a piece of very expensive parchment paper and handed it to her.  The calligraphy was beautiful; she'd only seen the like in books, never from someone's own hand. She read it through and quickly calculated the boy's size.

"It's no problem, we have plenty in his size," she said.

"Oh, splendid!" The rich man radiated good humor. He looked around the shop. "Tell me, Miss Kyra, is it always so very busy in here? The din is really rather cacophonous."

"They're havin' a sale," said the uniformed boy. "Didn't you see all the signs when we were walkin' in?"

"I did not pay all that much attention," the rich man confessed. 

The owner of the shop approached them, with a slight frown on her face. "Kyra, we need you," she said, giving the rich man an assessing look.

"Ah! I am afraid I am taking up all of Miss Kyra's time. I assume you are her employer?"

The shop owner nodded, giving the rich man a bit of a skeptical look. 

"Ah good. Well. I do intend to keep Miss Kyra busy, but I promise you, I will be spending a great quantity of yuan today. I assume that means I may have her all to myself, then?"

"Uh..." said the shop owner, and the rich man gave her that sunny smile.

"Lovely! Excellent! We'll just carry on, then. Miss Kyra? If you would be so kind as to show me what you have in that size?" He had not let go of her arm during the entire conversation. Kyra would normally hate to have a customer touch her like that, but she found she didn't mind it when this one did it. She took him over and pointed out what they had available. The man picked out several things, holding them up and pursing his lips. "Oh, we can't possibly go with this shade of green, it would never suit."

"He don't care. He's twelve years old, it ain't like his Granny will keep 'em anyway once he goes home." The uniformed boy gave Kyra a look. "You got anythin' he can train in? He's a firebender, he'll be doin' some trainin', I'm sure."

"Oh of course, I had forgotten that. Good thing I brought you along!"  

Kyra led them over to where they kept the training uniforms.

The rich man kept picking things up and then putting them down; the uniformed boy just sighed and took things out of his hands and handed them politely to Kyra. "We'll take this one, Miss." Eventually they had settled on several knickerbockers, shirts, sweaters, pajamas, two pairs of shoes, socks and underwear and two training outfits. Not to mention two complete suits. 

"Well, it's not much, but I suppose it will do," the rich man said. "Oh. Do I have an account at this store?"

The uniformed boy shook his head. "No. Don't fret, he gave me yuan. I'll pay for it."

"Let me just wrap these up for you," said Kyra. She quickly pulled out some boxes and began to fold the clothes into them neatly. The rich man wandered a bit, looking at the clothes.

"Miss Kyra, does this establishment sell coats? And sturdy boots? Well, not now, of course, who would want them in the summer? But later, I mean, when the weather turns."

"Of course, sir."

He nodded idly, and then picked up a baby romper, smiling gently at it and smoothing it down. Kyra calculated the total on her abacus and gave it to the uniformed boy, who pulled out a wallet and paid her without even blinking. Even on sale the total amount was more than she had ever sold in one go.

"Okay, we're done. You ready to scoot?" The uniformed boy went to scoop up the boxes.

"Oh yes, just one moment. Miss Kyra? Do you think I could trouble you to fetch the shop owner?"

Kyra looked at him and her heart sank. She'd done her best; was he somehow unhappy with her? Just what she needed, another customer complaint. She waved the owner over and nodded towards the rich man. The owner looked at the number of boxes next to the uniformed boy and her mood instantly improved.

"May I help you, sir?"

The rich man smiled politely. "Yes, two things. For one, I would like to commend Miss Kyra here. Excellent service with a smile and I am very grateful indeed. For another, I would like to arrange a time to meet with you to discuss the purchase of winter clothing for children. Not today obviously," he gestured around the shop, "but at another time. Let me give you my card." He pulled a gold card case out of his breast pocket and took a card out of it and handed it to her. "You can get in touch with me through my secretarial firm, the number is there. I have a charity, you see, and I'd like to make sure the children get properly clothed this winter. We've been relying upon hand-me-downs but there never seem to be enough. I would be looking for approximately one hundred and fifty to two hundred children of varying sizes, warm things, you know, coats and hats and mittens and boots and such. Do you think your shop could accommodate?"

The shop owner nearly fell over herself when she saw his card, assuring him that the shop would be more than capable of handling his request. He smiled politely and thanked her; with a nod from him the uniformed boy picked up all of the boxes, balancing them a bit in order to see over the top of them.

"Too many boxes," he complained, but he didn't really look angry.

The rich man took Kyra's hand and bent over it in a very courtly manner. "Miss Kyra, it was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you so much for all of your time and attention." Kyra felt herself blushing just slightly. The uniformed boy demanded the rich man take one of the boxes; he did so and the two of them left the store. 

"Do you know who that was?" The shop owner was staring down at the card in her hand. "That was _Prince Wu_. You know, of the Earth Kingdom? Well, the former Earth Kingdom."

"You're kidding," said Kyra. She stared at the owner. "You're aren't kidding!" The owner handed the card over and sure enough, it had "His Royal Highness Prince Wu Hou-Ting" engraved on it with a phone number. "Wow," she said. 

"Wow is right," said the shop owner, and then another customer asked Kyra a question about hair ribbons and she was drawn back into the chaos of the sale.

She ended up working two shifts that day to make up for the shop girls who had called in sick. By the end of the day she was exhausted, her feet hurt, and she hadn't even managed to get any lunch, no less a cup of tea. They had just closed the door and were starting on getting the shop back into order when there was a knock at the door.

"Oh, now what?" said one of the other shop girls, and with a groan she went to go and see who it was. A few moments later she returned with an outrageously large vase full of flowers. Roses, peonies, lilies; a profusion of brightly colored blooms spilled out of it. It smelled even better than it looked. "It's for Kyra," she said with giggle, and handed Kyra the card.

 _Thank you again for all of your assistance, Miss Kyra_ it read in that beautiful calligraphy. It was signed _Wu Hou-Ting_ with a great flourish. Kyra stared at the flowers and started to laugh. "How on earth am I going to get that home on the tram?" she asked, and she put her nose to the vase and took a deep sniff.


	16. A Curative Predicament: I Shudder To Breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set about a week after the final chapter of [A Song Of Spring And Autumn](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4284207/chapters/9703725).
> 
> Sometimes breathing is the hardest thing to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bu's asthma attack is something I wrote for the last chapter of ASoSaA; however, it bogged down the narrative and didn't really fit, so I cut it.
> 
> I re-wrote it, setting it in Mako and Wu's home in Republic City, about a week after they have all returned from Opal and Bolin's wedding in Zaofu. Originally Ikki had Rohan's part; however, I find that Rohan was a far better character choice for this! Good thing I cut it and re-wrote it, then!

LoLo poked at the lobster souffle with his chopsticks. “It needs some spice.”

“No one’s listening to you so you can stop complaining,” said Lin, giving him a glare.

“I’m listening!” insisted Zhi. “But LoLo, don’t you think it’s nice? I love your cooking best but this tastes okay.”

“Never mind, darling,” said Wu to his son, and he shot LoLo a look. “LoLo is just feeling disgruntled because he doesn’t like sitting about all day. And speaking of, how is the knee doing, Kya?”

Kya smiled. “It’s doing. Too early to expect too much progress, of course. It’s only been two days.” She gave LoLo’s knee under the table a pointed look. “The immersion pool will help. Thank you for that.”

Wu waved a hand. “If he needs it then he’ll have it.”

“Foolish to buy it just for a month or two,” LoLo scowled. “You could be spending your yuan on something better.” That only got him a raised eyebrow from Wu for his trouble.

“Hey Papa, do you think we could take Sozui to the zoo tomorrow?” Naoki waggled her eyebrows up and down at Sozui, who froze in the middle of putting a chopstick into his mouth, staring at her.

“Oh, can we? Sozui, the zoo is really fun! The badgermoles love Papa, whenever he goes to visit they always crowd over, trying to get him to sing to them. And when he sings they dance!” Zhi bounced in his seat. Mako pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

“Oh, I suppose we can. But will we all fit in the car? If we take all of you children plus Qi and myself that makes nine.” Wu glanced over at Qi.

“We can if Meili and Bu and Zhi sit on some laps. Might be a squeeze but it ain’t far to go.” Qi shrugged. “Rohan can sit up on top, maybe.” Qi dropped Rohan a wink.

“I want to sit on the top!” Naoki’s eyes lit up.

“No,” said Mako.

“Aw, Daddy!”

“I like the zoo. Uncle Mako, can you pass the greens, please?” San asked. “Bu, you want some?”

Bu shook his head fretfully and shoved his uneaten souffle around his plate. “I don’t like this dinner. I want LoLo’s dinner.” Bu’s lower lip trembled. “I want Mommy and Daddy to come home.”

“There! You see! Bu, honey, maybe I could just whip up a quick batch of dumplings-”

“No,” interrupted Mako, calmly. “Norbu, if you don’t like that dinner you don’t have to eat it, but LoLo has to keep off that knee. No exceptions. He can’t cook for you or anybody else right now. Do you understand me?” Mako’s expression softened. “I know you miss your parents, buddy, but they’ll be home soon.”

Tears splashed down Bu’s cheeks. “I want Mommy.”

“My Bu all sad,” said Meili. “Not crying, Bu. My kiss you.” Meili slipped out of her chair and trooped around the table.

“Now darling, I know you miss your parents, but it won’t be much longer. Tomorrow we’ll go the zoo and that will be fun!” Bu just started to sob. Wu sighed and looked over at Mako. _Do something,_ he mouthed.

“Hey Bu, if you want, after dinner we can go over to the park and play. Okay?” Rohan smiled at him hopefully.

“Uh oh,” said Naoki. “Daddy, he’s doing it.” Bu’s breath started hitching in, wheezing.

“Oh damn it anyhow,” said Mako, standing up. “Where’s his medicine?”

“I’ll get it!” Naoki shot off of her chair and went pounding upstairs.

“Try to breathe, Bu, remember what Mommy says, try to breathe,” San put his arms around his brother.

Kya pursed her lips, staring at Bu. “Does he do this often?” She got out of her seat and went around the table, putting a gentle hand to Bu’s chest.

“He has a hard time breathing sometimes,” said Lin. “He can’t seem to get any air in. If the attacks are really bad he starts to get blue about the mouth, even.”

Kya gave Lin a sharp look. “Hasn’t he seen a healer?”

“Several. I even brought a specialist down from the Northern Water Tribe, in fact,” said Wu. “She gave us a recipe for a compound that helps somewhat.” He frowned at Norbu.

“Here it is,” said Naoki breathlessly, skidding back into the dining room. Kya held out her hand and Noaki gave the vial to her. Kya sniffed it and ran her hand over it; she put some on her finger, tasted it and frowned.

“Hand me some water, please?” Sozui reached over and took up a pitcher of water, carefully holding it out to her. “Thank you. Let’s lay him flat, now.” She took Bu away from San and lay him gently on the floor, sitting down next to him. She pulled water out of the pitcher and it started to glow between her fingers. She ran her fingers up and over his chest, frowning slightly. “Rohan, come here, please.”

Rohan got up from his seat and came over. “Yes?”

“I need you to help me with something,” Kya said. “Can you sense his breathing for me? Follow the air as it goes in and out of his lungs? Tell me what you sense.” Rohan looked a little unsure but Kya smiled at him. “Go ahead.”

Rohan sat down next to Bu’s head. Bu’s lips were starting to pinch and darken. The sound of his desperate sucking could clearly be heard. Meili dropped down next to Kya and her little eyes filled with tears as she laid her hand on Bu’s head. Rohan’s eyes were closed and his face took on a listening expression, his fingers hovering over Bu’s mouth. He was still and silent for a few moments.

Rohan’s eyes flew open. “Aunt Kya, he’s getting the air in just fine. It’s that it won’t come _out_. That’s what the problem is, I can feel it.”

Kya nodded. “Okay. Rohan, I am going to need your help. I am going to ease the constriction in his lungs, but I want you to help him breathe by pulling the air in and out of his lungs. Very, very gently. Can you do that for me?”

Rohan bit his lip and then nodded. “I can do that.” He took a deep breath himself and then looked down at Bu. “Bu, I’m going to pull the air out of your lungs. Don’t be scared, okay?” Bu continued to wheeze, his lips turning blue. Rohan looked at his aunt and nodded. The water in Kya’s hands started to glow a deeper aqua color. Rohan closed his eyes again and with the most delicate of movements, pulled his fingers away from Bu’s mouth. Bu’s mouth opened and his chest compressed. “Breathe in,” Rohan said, and Bu took a whooping breath. “That’s the way. Now we’re going to do it again.” Rohan took the breath from Bu’s lungs again, and Kya soothed the water across his chest. “Breathe in,” he said, and Bu obeyed. His lips started to lose that terrible blue color. “Okay, Bu. Now it’s your turn. You can feel what I’m doing, can’t you? Now I want you to bend the air out of your lungs yourself. Don’t be scared, I’m right here, I’ll help you. Ready? Now _bend_.”

Bu’s breath whistled out of his lungs in a great rush. Rohan smiled. “Good job! Let’s do it a little softer now, okay? You just breathed in yourself, so now how help the air out. Gentle, gentle.” The breath eased out. “Yes, just like that. Just like that. Again.” Rohan sat with him, fingers above his mouth, talking him through breathing.

Kya continued to run the water across Bu’s chest. Meili reached out a single finger and placed it in the glowing water, eyes huge. Kya smiled at her, but said nothing. Meili moved her hand along with Kya’s, crooning very very softly.

Bu struggled to sit up and Rohan supported him.

“Slow now,” said Kya with a smile. “You’ve worn your body out. Slow and easy. How are you feeling?”

“Better,” said Bu. “Lots better!” He threw his arms around Rohan, who laughed and hugged him very gently back.

“Did my eyes deceive me or did that child just bend?” LoLo asked, staring down at Bu, leaning forward in his chair. Lin put a hand to his chest to keep him there.

“He did,” said Rohan. “He was using his bending to force the air into his lungs but I think that was the wrong thing to be doing.” He looked to his aunt for confirmation. “The air was already going in just fine even when he wasn't trying to bend it, I could feel it. The problem was that he wasn’t able to get the breath out, that’s what was causing the wheezing.” Rohan smiled down at Bu. “Did you know you were doing that? Using your bending to force air into your lungs?”

“The other healer told Mommy that I needed help to get the air into me,” Bu said. “So I tried real hard to do it. Can I really airbend? Like Mommy?”

“Yep! You sure can. Why don’t you try giving the air in front of you a little push?” Rohan grinned at him. “Like this, watch.” He raised his hand and pushed a little gust into Bu’s face. Bu raised his own hand back and frowned, staring at Rohan before pushing his hand forward slightly. Rohan laughed in delight as the tiny gust hit him in the face.

“I did it! I did it! LoLo! Did you see! I did it!”

LoLo leaned so far forward he nearly toppled over. “I saw, sweetheart! You bet I saw.” He tried to get out of his chair but Lin shoved him back down with a grunt. With an exasperated sigh Mako picked Bu up off of the floor and put him into LoLo’s arms.

“Stay _still_ ,” Mako said, and gave him a glare, which LoLo ignored in favor of planting a big kiss on Bu’s cheek.

San was beaming at his little brother. “Wow, Bu. Wait until Mommy finds out! She’ll be really happy! Daddy, too!” Bu held out his arms and San tumbled into LoLo’s lap as well, hugging him.

“Hey you two, take it easy on LoLo, okay?” Lin tousled San’s hair.

“Will I get arrows one day?” Bu asked, his eyes going wide. Kya winked up at him.

“Pretty sure you will,” she said, laughing. “I have it on good authority that all the best airbenders have them.” She smiled at her nephew. “In fact, speaking of arrows, I am pretty sure your father and sister are going to want to hear _all_ about this.” Rohan went slightly pink with pleasure.

Sozui leaned towards Naoki, his curiosity getting the best of him. “Do the badgermoles really dance when your father sings to them?”

Naoki started to giggle. “They really do. And Papa is a _terrible_ singer.”

“Thank you for nothing, darling.” Wu shook a finger at his daughter, but he was smiling. “Legend has it that the badgermoles will always come at the call of a Hou-Ting. I don’t know how true that is, but they do seem to like me, that much I do know.”

“What do you think, honey, could you take just a few bites of this dinner for your old LoLo?” LoLo wheedled, smoothing Bu’s hair back. “Just a few little tiny bites.”

“It’s not so good as yours but I’ll try,” said Bu, looking at his plate doubtfully. San slid it over in front of him.

Kya was still sitting cross-legged on the floor, Meili next to her. “Maybe when I work on LoLo’s knee tomorrow you could come and watch, hmm?” She held out the still glowing orb of water in her hand to Meili. “Only if you want to, of course.” Meili reached out a longing finger before snatching it back and running to hide behind Lin’s legs. Lin looked at Kya and shrugged. Kya just smiled. “Yumi’s sister is a very gifted healer. One of the most gifted I’ve trained. I wish I knew why this little one was so reluctant. Well, I don’t want to push her, that will do more harm than good.” She started to move herself up from the floor and Sozui immediately leaped from his seat and offered her his arm. “Well, it’s nice to see your grandmother has taught you some manners,” she laughed.

“Oh yes she _has_ ,” said Sozui with some feeling as he helped her to her feet.

“All right, emergency over, let’s finish dinner,” said Mako. He nodded at Rohan. “If you kids go play in the park after dinner you’ll keep a close eye on him, won’t you?”

“Sure, Mako.”

Mako tapped the edge of San’s plate. “Come on and sit back down and finish your dinner, San. You too, Meili.”

“Well, I don’t suppose we’ll get that child out of your lap, will we?” Lin sniffed at LoLo.

“When I go back to the Island tonight I’ll talk to Tenzin and Jinora. We can start working with Bu before Opal gets back. Usually I know they’d start him on some basic beginning training exercises but I think it’s best he learns how to control his breathing first. He shouldn’t need this medicine any longer if he can treat himself.” She shook the bottle. “Not that I think this was doing him all that good.” Kya made a bit of a face. “Northern Water Tribe healing being what it is,” she said and placed the bottle firmly onto the table. “Why that healer wouldn’t consult with an airbender over a child with breathing issues I simply don’t know.” She looked over at Rohan. “You’ll assist me with Bu, won’t you?”

Rohan looked surprised. “But wouldn’t Jinora be better? I mean, she’s _Jinora_.”

“Jinora would be the first one to admit she doesn’t have much experience with either healing or humans. Her specialty is spirits. Don’t get me wrong, I want to consult with her about this, but you’re the one I think would best assist me. You’ve got a natural touch for it. It wasn’t unknown for airbenders to do a type of healing as well, you know. Back in the day. Your grandfather and I discussed it more than once.”

“I would really like to, Aunt Kya.” Rohan was solemn.

“Good. It’s settled then.” Kya took up her chopsticks with a smile.


	17. A Metamorphic Obstruction: How Could They Know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qi asks Kya for some healing.
> 
> Set a week or two after the previous drabble; so about three weeks after the end of A Song Of Spring And Autumn.
> 
> This one comes with a trigger warning for childhood abuse. Please read at your discretion.

Kya sat at the big wooden table in Mako's kitchen while she jotted down her notes. She huffed a nearly silent breath of laughter to hear LoLo's grumbling and Lin's acerbic retorts in the other room; in some ways Lin was still the sharp-tongued teenager that Kya remembered so well. She'd mellowed, though. LoLo was better for her, better than Tenzin ever was, not that Kya was going to start a fire in that particular wolfbat's cave. Kya liked LoLo. Oh, he was cantankerous at the moment, but that was a good sign. It meant he'd work harder at getting well. 

"I'll only be a minute or two more, Qi."

"There ain't no hurry." Qi shifted a little from Qi's position near the door. "Don't mean to rush you none."

Kya nodded and smiled pleasantly before looking back down at her notebook. _Sit down before you fall down you stubborn damn old skunk bear_ , came Lin's faint voice from the other room. The silence that followed was only interrupted by the scritch of her pen. "So what is it you'd like to speak to me about?"

"Sorry?"

Kya looked up. "I've been doing this for a long time. I know when someone wants to talk to me, Qi. You've been trying to work up the courage to do it for two weeks now, back and forth to the ferry. Yumi has other plans this evening so I don't have anything scheduled at all for the rest of the day. Now would be a good time for me."

Qi looked around the kitchen. "Uh...I..."

"Of course, it isn't very private here. Is there somewhere else we could go?"

Qi stood there for a moment, staring at the floor. "Reckon you could come up to my room. Above the garage. If you don't mind, I mean." Qi risked a quick look. Kya stood up and gathered her things together.

"I don't mind in the slightest. Lead the way."

Qi opened the door for her and walked silently with her out the side door from the kitchen that led to the garage. 

"Toph had the garage built," she told Qi. "When Lin was still a girl. I'm not sure why; she never owned a car. She certainly couldn't drive. It sat empty all the years she lived here. The flat above, as well. Insofar as I know, you're the first person to live there."

Qi nodded. "Yeah, Lin told me that herself."

"Well, mysterious were the ways of Toph Beifong, believe me. My uncle was the only person who understood her at all, I think, and she managed to baffle him on a fairly regular basis." They ascended the steps to the door, and Qi let her in. Kya was surprised. She didn't know what she expected Qi's flat to look like, but this wasn't it. The sitting room was scrupulously clean; the wooden floor gleamed with fresh wax and the bookcase along one wall was full of books. There were several hangings, beautifully embroidered, on the walls. "These are exquisite," she said, going to look at one of them. The stitches were neat and even; tiny and precise. The one she was looking at had a butterfly embroidered on it, intertwined with a koi and a beetle. Kya smiled.

"Could I make you some tea, mebbe?" Qi was fidgeting nervously.

"That would be lovely, thank you." Kya wandered over to look at the other pieces as the sounds of tea making came from the small kitchen. "I didn't know Toph had plumbing put up here."

"No, that was Wu. Electricity, too."

The piece she was looking at had the royal insignia of the House of Hou-Ting combined with what looked like a stylized fire ferret. Kya stared for a moment before remembering Mako's past as a pro-bender.

She turned away and sat down on the sofa when Qi put the tea tray on the lacquered coffee table. It was a set; expensive porcelain, in a jade and peach floral pattern, the delicate cups paper thin. Qi poured the tea with very elegant hands, serving the tea in a ritual way before sitting down on the far end of the sofa. They drank their tea in silence. Kya noted that the tea was of good quality, excellently brewed. She also noted that there was a jug of water placed on the tray as well. Very thoughtful and meticulous, much as the embroidery on the walls and the arrangement of fresh flowers in what was clearly a vase handmade by a child. 

"So," Kya said, putting her cup down. "You want me to take a look at your throat?" Qi stared at her and Kya laughed. "Qi, I told you, I've been doing this for many years. There's not much that surprises me. If I may?" She gestured towards Qi's throat and waited. Qi slowly unbuttoned the high-necked round collar of Qi's uniform shirt and swallowed nervously. "You'll let me know immediately if there is any discomfort." There was sweat beading up on Qi's upper lip and Qi started to tremble.

"Sorry. Don't know what's wrong with me."

"These kinds of injuries are often traumatic. Addressing them tends to bring the trauma right back. I know it isn't pleasant for you, but you should know that this kind of reaction is completely normal. I need to put my hands here for a few moments. If you need me to stop you just say the word, all right?"

Qi nodded once, sharply; Kya brought up the water from the jug and let her fingers gently smooth themselves over Qi's throat. "Hmmm. You were still a child when this happened, yes? I'd guess perhaps around ten?"

"Nine."

Kya tsked softly. "Whomever struck you here struck you hard. There was a lot of force behind the blow. Hand or some sort of weapon?"

There was a slight pause. "Hands."

"So whomever it was throttled you?"

"Yeah." Something wet and warm dribbled over Kya's fingers.

"I'm so sorry, Qi, I can see this is a very painful memory for you. I believe I can ease some things for you. Not everything, unfortunately; the damage was so severe that the larynx didn't really grow after the injury happened. However, what I can do is repair the split that is still there. It should improve your voice somewhat, which I assume is what you are hoping for. It's not something I can do in one go; however, I can do it at the same time I am working on LoLo's knee. If that is what you would like, of course. You don't need to decide right at this moment, by the way. You can certainly take some time to think about it." She took her hands away and turned away to return the water to the jug, giving Qi a moment to find some composure.

"I am assuming you know the basics of my father's story? That my mother released him out of the iceberg he'd been enclosed in for one hundred years?" She looked back to see Qi nod. "Well. In the year that followed my parents had their share of adventures. My father hadn't mastered any bending but airbending at that point and he wasn't able to access the Avatar state at all." Kya tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Long story very short, my father met up with a guru at the Eastern Air Temple. Guru Pathik told my father that his seven chakras were blocked and that's what was keeping him out of the Avatar State. In order to get into it he had to work to unblock his chakras. He had to find a way to restore the flow of chi to his body." Kya smiled. "You need to restore your chi, Qi." She sat back for a moment before putting her fingers to her own throat. "Do you know what the throat chakra represents?"

"No."

"It's the sound chakra. It deals with truth and it is blocked by lies. Lies we tell others, yes, but even more importantly, the lies we tell ourselves." She leaned forward to put a gentle hand over Qi's hand. "What lies are you telling yourself, Qi? Because I can promise you, your throat chakra is closed tight. I can heal your larynx to the very best of my ability, but until you release the lies that are blocking your throat chakra the healing won't be complete." Kya sat back. "It's not just about the obvious lies, like whatever story you've told about how your throat was injured. Oh, those are part of it, of course. But it can only be opened completely when someone is being true to themselves, to their true self."

Qi was silent for a time. "What if the person don't know who their true self is any more?" 

"Well, in order to clear that throat chakra they'd need to find out who their true self is." She tilted her head and looked at Qi. "Not everyone agrees with me, by the way. In the Northern Water Tribe they heal strictly based on what the body needs. However, I don't think it is as simple as that. My mother was a great healer, the greatest healer of her age. She brought my father back from death when she was only fourteen years old. My father was a very spiritual person, and he believed that healing needed more than just the body's cooperation, that the spirit and the mind needed to be a part of any healing process. My mother also believed this, which is why she was the healer she was. I believe it as well. The physical damage to your throat could be healed by any waterhealer of competence, not just me. But your spirit? Your mind? This, Qi, will determine how well you'll heal. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Qi nodded slowly.

"I will do what I can to heal your throat regardless, of course. But if you wish to clear your throat chakra then you will have to take a large part of that healing on yourself. I can help you with this, if you wish."

"How?"

"Well, I'd start with some guided meditation, I think. Do you do any kind of meditation?"

"Some. Not much."

"Well, some is better than none!" She looked Qi in the eyes. "Do you want to tell me what happened to your throat? What really happened, I mean. I know you've not been truthful about it. The blocked chakra tells me this."

Qi sat silently for long minutes, staring down at the floor before speaking. “I always said I didn’t remember my mother. That’s true. I don’t remember her. But I knew who she was. She was a whore, worked in one of them houses over in the red light district by the docks. She died when I was about two. I don’t know why, just that she was sick and didn’t make it. Some of the other women there, they kept me, made sure I had a floor to sleep on and some food. I was better off than lots of kids.” Qi’s hands ran restlessly over Qi’s knees. “Never got no school, of course, but at least I ate pretty regular and I had shelter. The woman who run the place, soon as I was old enough, she gave me stuff to do, didn’t want nobody livin’ off of her for free. Can’t really blame her for that. One of the whores there, she was real good with a needle, she taught me how to sew, how to embroider fancy things. I used to do some of that work, around the house and when I was a little older, the madam, she gave me commissions to do from other people. Rich women, probably, embroiderin’ fancy things on their underwear, that kind of thing. It weren’t a good life or nothin’, but it was okay. But that madam, she took sick and died, and the woman who took her place, she didn’t want nothin’ to do with no nine year old kid. So she sold me off to a pimp that dealt in kids.”

“Oh, Qi,” Kya said, tears filling her eyes.

Qi pulled Qi's legs up until Qi's forehead rested against Qi’s knees. “It’s not that I didn’t know what went on. Course I knew. I knew more about sex than any little kid had a right to know. Anyhow, I knew enough to know I didn’t want no part of it, so when the first man paid and come for me, I stabbed him in the eye with one of my sewing needles. I was so scared, I didn't even think, I just wanted him to get away from me. And the pimp, he was so angry, he choked me. He would had killed me, I’m sure, but one of the ladies who had kept care of me from the old house, she had come lookin’ for me, and she walked in while he was chokin’ me and hit him upside the head, knocked him out cold. She told me to run. Told me to disappear, become someone else, to hide and keep clear, never let him find me again. So I ran. And I became somebody else.” Qi laughed bitterly. “Someone with a broken voice, someone always runnin’, someone always alone.” Qi looked up at Kya, weeping. “I don’t want to be that person no more. I want to be happy. I want to be part of a family. I don’t want to be sad and angry no more. I’m so tired of runnin’. Because I’m runnin’ every single day. And I think, if I up and left, I could be somebody new, somebody different, put it all behind me. Because that kid he pulled off the street? That kid he gave everythin'? That kid is who I’m stuck with now. I don’t want to be that Qi no more and I feel like I’m trapped in that Qi. I’m trapped and I don’t know how to get out.”

Kya instinctively pulled the water to her as she reached her arms out. "I am so sorry. So much pain." As Qi came into her arms she held one hand gently against Qi's throat, massaging the water in while her other arm went around Qi's shoulders. Qi wept on, a shattered hoarse sound. "That's the way. Let all of that poison out of you."

"Don't wanna," Qi wailed like a child, and Kya let Qi weep. Sometimes that was the way of it. In her experience there was no way around the pain except to go through it to get to the other side. She thought of Iluak, of her smile, of the night under the stars where she'd given Kya the betrothal necklace, of the illness that ate away at her until there was nothing left of her but a scrap when she died. The illness that she, with all of her experience, couldn't heal. That even her mother couldn't heal and spirits knew her mother had tried. All the years she spent running from that pain, traveling the world, refusing to set down roots, get involved with anyone else, shutting herself off from anything else that might possibly hurt her as badly as Iluak's passing had. She knew that pain, that loss, that instinctual desire to run away, to become someone else just to be free of it. None of it worked. She'd had to make her peace with that pain and she knew Qi had to as well. Oh, but Qi had reminded her of Iluak the first time she'd laid eyes on Qi, even though of course Iluak had always known she was a woman, no matter what anyone else had tried to say or do to convince her otherwise.

Finally Qi's sobs tapered off, although Qi's breath was still hitching in and out. Qi had soaked through Kya's dress, but it wasn't the first time it'd happened. It was all part of being a healer. Well. At least the kind of healer her parents had raised her to be. She sent a brief thanks towards the both of them before pulling the water back away from Qi's throat. Qi sat back and searched pockets for a handkerchief but came up empty.

"Wu's always got one, guess I should carry 'em too." Qi sniffled and swiped an arm across Qi's face. "Sorry 'bout all of that."

Kya shook her head. "Don't apologize. That's part of the healing process and I'm a healer. It's to be expected."

Qi got up abruptly and removed the tea tray, taking it back into the kitchen area. Kya held her peace, waiting patiently as she heard water running. When Qi came back it was with a buttoned up shirt, combed back hair and Qi's face washed. "I best get you to that ferry," Qi said. Kya nodded and got up from the sofa.

As Qi opened the door for Kya, Qi swallowed and looked down at the floor. "I'd like to try. What you suggested. The healing I mean. All of it. If we can?" The hazel came up to meet hers, eyes full of so much hope that Kya's heart broke, just a little.

"Of course we can. Tomorrow, after I am finished with LoLo? We can work here if you like, since it's private."

Qi nodded that sharp jerk again and motioned Kya ahead. Kya's hand went to the betrothal necklace and she smiled. _For you, Iluak_ , she thought. _I'll help this little one for you, my love._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was proofreading this when a friend let me know that David Bowie had died. Bowie's music had a tremendous impact on me for most of my life. Bowie sang for all of us who never fit into the perfect little squares that we were expected to mold right into. I really feel this one, I tell you.
> 
> [Rebel Rebel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U16Xg_rQZkA) was a song for Qi, for sure.


	18. An Exercise In Nurturing: Wu Plays Nurse In The Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Wuko: _Finding the other wearing their clothes._ and _Patching up a wound._

“Aaah! You don’t have to stab me like that!”

“I am not _stabbing_ you, Mako. What a great baby you are! That’s what you get for trying to act the hero. At your age, too. Really. Now hold still, you’ve still got rocks stuck in your knee.”

“Ow!”

“My word! Even Meili is quieter than you, and she’s only two.”

“I bet you don’t dig the tweezers into Meili the way you’re doing to me!”

“I wouldn’t dig them into you if you would just _sit still_. Gracious! I think I’ve got them all out now anyhow. Well, at least most of the bleeding has stopped. What on earth possessed you to jump off the swing like that in midair?”

“I was trying to show Zhi how to do it.”

“May I remind you that you are not an airbender?”

“No way. You are not pouring that stuff on my knee. Forget it. It’s fine now.”

“I need to disinfect it, do you want it to get infected? Spirits know what kind of germs are all over a children’s playground. Now hold still a moment-”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! Damn it, Wu! That stings!”

“That’s what happens when you make an ass of yourself in front of an audience. No! You sit right back down, don’t you dare walk away until I’m finished! Honestly, Mako! You are a bad influence on the children.”

“Don’t pour more on it!”

“Be still!”

“DAMN IT! That _stings_ , I tell you! You are the worst nurse _ever_.”

“There. All clean. Now I’ll put some of the salve on it and wrap it up.”

“I want my jacket back.”

“What?”

“I gave you my jacket because you were cold and now you are paying me back by destroying my knee.”

“And here I thought you destroyed your own knee by catapulting yourself through the air like a fool. There. You see? All done. You’ll need to change your trousers when we get home, though, you’ve put a big rent in the knee in those ones.”

“What are you doing?”

“Taking off your jacket, the way you demanded.”

“Well, you don’t have to take it off. And anyway, since when do you carry a first aid kit to the park?”

“Since always, Mako. I have snacks in my bag as well. Qi and I always come prepared to the park.”

“Hmph.”

“Well hmph yourself.”

“Thank you for fixing my knee.”

“You’re welcome. No, don’t throw the rocks away, Naoki made me promise to save them so she could look at them. Don’t look at me like that, she gets it from you, not me. Here. Have a mochi. It’s a coconut one. Your favorite. Take one to Zhi while you are at it, he’s still over there waiting for you to push him on the swings. All that shouting you did, I’m surprised the neighbors aren’t out looking to see who was murdered.”

“Love you.”

“Yes, yes, I know. Now go limp away while I clean up this mess. The children are waiting on you.”


	19. An Inked Memorial: Huan Remembers His Grandmother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Ikki and Huan: _Reacting to the other one crying about something._

When Ikki finally found Huan, he was sitting alone, back up against one of the trees in the swamp, his knees to his chin, his forehead resting against them. 

“There you are! I was looking for you. Thue said they finished your tattoo today! Can I see it? Oh no wait, it’s probably bandaged up, isn’t it?”

Huan didn’t answer, just kept his forehead to his knees. Ikki slowed her approach. “Are you..is everything okay?” She stood in front of him, looking down. “Huan?”

He looked up at her, mute. His eyes were brimming over with tears, his face miserable.

“Huan!” She started to reach towards him and barely caught herself in time. He didn’t like that, didn’t like being touched when he was in any way emotional. She put her hands behind her back. “Can I…can I sit down with you?” A moment; then a small nod. She settled down carefully in front of him, her legs crossed. He wouldn’t look at her; his eyes kept shifting to the side. She knew him well enough by now to know that it wasn’t personal, however. It was just how he was when he was upset about something. “Is it…is it the tattoo? Does it hurt you or something?” A shake of his head. “Okay, that’s good. Did someone say something to upset you?” Another shake. “Can you tell me?”

He made brief eye contact before opening his mouth. Nothing came out. Another pleading look and then he shook his head again, face looking even more miserable. Tears rolled down his cheeks.

“It’s okay, it doesn’t matter. You can tell me whenever you’re ready. I’ll just sit here, is that okay?” A quick nod.

They sat there for a time, Huan crying nearly silently, Ikki just as silent. A swamp bird called; a squirrel frog hopped past, ignoring them completely. Ikki wished that Huan would really cry; that he would sob and shake, that he would wail out his anguish. He looked so despondent, a strand of his hair that had escaped his hairsticks plastered to his wet cheek. He didn’t even try to wipe the tears off of his face. But this was his way. 

Finally he put his finger to the bandage covering his tattoo and looked at her. He opened his mouth again; nothing came out. He slammed his palm against his head.

“No! Oh Huan, don’t! Please don’t. Please don’t do that. The words will come eventually. We can just sit here until then, okay? Okay?”

He looked at her desperately, pointing to his tattoo. At her look of incomprehension he shook his head and then pointed at the tattoo again before holding his hands up in that strange way he had of earthbending, the way his grandmother had taught him. Ikki suddenly sat up a little taller.

“Oh! Huan, is it your grandma? Is that it? Are you missing your grandma?”

The relief on his face, the grateful look he gave her brought tears to her eyes as well. “Oh, of course. It’s her tree, the one she’s buried under. It’s making you miss her, isn’t it? The tattoo of her tree?”

He nodded. Some of the tension left his body.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. No wonder you are feeling so sad right now. I know you loved her a lot.”

He nodded. They were quiet for a time and then, shyly, he held out his hand to her and motioned to himself. 

“Do you…do you want me to come closer?” At his nod she shuffled herself over to sit next to him. He reached out and took her hand in his.

They sat there for a time, hand in hand, while Huan grieved for his grandmother. They sat there until Ikki’s foot fell asleep and the sun started to creep down under the horizon, until the fish in the nearby inlet of water started to break the surface, snapping at insects. 

There was nowhere else in the world she wanted to be.


	20. A Geminate Interval: Wing Washes Nuo's Hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Nuo and Wing: _Having their hair washed by the other_ and _One character playing with the other's hair._

Nuo must have dozed off again; the sound of Wing in their bathroom woke her. Small sounds; the faint whirr of a zipper, the minute thump of the lid to the laundry basket closing. He was trying to be quiet.

“Wing?” she called, and he appeared in the doorway, his robe belted around him, a towel scrubbing at his wet head.

“I’m sorry, sweetie, did I wake you?“

“It’s not you, I have to pee again. Give me a hand?” The midwife had confirmed, months earlier, that she was expecting twins. She was no Su Beifong, however. Her mother-in-law was a tall woman, slender and strong. She’d carried Wing and Wei easily even into her third trimester. Nuo was none of those things, and she was enormous with her pregnancy, unwieldy and ponderous. She didn’t do much of anything in her eighth month but eat and sleep. 

Wing came and helped her to stand, giving her his arm into the bathroom. “Oh, Nuo. You look so tired. Isn’t there anything I can do for you? Anything?”

“Tell these children of yours that they need to hurry up and get out?”

He kissed her on the temple as she lowered herself to the toilet. “I wish I could. You know I’d carry them for you if could.”

“How’s the storm?” One of the worst spring storms that Zaofu had experienced in years was on its second day of raging. Wing had been run ragged himself heading up the repair crews.

“We lost a power line to the western dome a few hours ago. There are still some homes without power. Bao Li has his crew out there right now working on it.”

“Ah. Do you have to leave again?” Her voice was a little tremulous. “Wing, you haven’t been to sleep in nearly twenty-four hours. Surely someone else can take over for a bit.”

“No, it’s okay for now. I need a shower and some food and at least a few hours of sleep. I’m done for.” Suddenly he frowned a bit. “Nuo, why is your hair down? Wasn’t there anyone that could have helped you braid it up, at least?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t want to bother anyone, they’re all busy. Bad enough I can’t be of any use to anyone as it is.” She gestured to her belly. “I can’t even braid my own damn hair.”

“ _Nuo._ ”

“Oh never mind, it won’t kill me. It’ll be over soon enough.”

He stared at her for a moment and then went to their bathtub, putting in the plug and turning on the taps.

“What are you doing?”

“Running you a bath. I’ll scrub you and wash your hair. When it’s dry I’ll braid it up for you.”

“Wing! No. Absolutely _not_. You are supposed to be eating and getting some rest!”

“I will. But first you. You’re the one who’s working the hardest right now.” At her glare he smiled. “Fine, I’ll go get someone to bring me something to eat, okay? You can have some as well. Give me half a second, I’ll be right back. Watch your bathwater.” 

A half hour later she was sitting in the tub, Wing kneeling over the side, gently lathering up her thigh-length hair. 

“I still think you should be napping and not doing this right now.”

“I’m a big boy, Nuo. I know what I’m about.” What was clearly a foot suddenly caused a noticeable bulge in Nuo’s belly. “Look at that earthbender kick!”

“You don’t know if they will be earthbenders. None in my family, you know.”

“With kicks like that? Earthbenders for sure. Tilt your head forward for me.”

“Wing?”

“Mmhmm?”

“What if they aren’t? Earthbenders, I mean.”

Wing’s hands stilled. “Nuo, all I want are two healthy children. And a healthy mother to go along with them. I don’t have any control over whether they’ll be benders, and neither do you. They’ll be what they are. You should know me well enough by now to know that love for me doesn’t depend on whether or not someone is a bender.” He reached around to carefully kiss her cheek. “If they aren’t benders then you can be sure I won’t allow them to be shut out the way my brother was, though. That will _never_ happen. Not on my watch.” His fingers scrubbed circles into her scalp. “Let me rinse all of this out and then I’ll comb it and put in your hair oil. You can take a little nap with me and I can braid it up for you later, before I head back out.”

“You haven’t even taken your own shower.”

“You first. Then me. Come on, don’t you feel better now that you’re nice and clean?”

She tilted her head up to smile at him. “Yes. Thank you.”

“My pleasure. And it is my pleasure, too.” He put a soapy hand on her belly and smiled when he got a punch for his trouble.


	21. A Torrent Of Grief: Lin Gets News Of Her Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Lin and LoLo: _Reacting to the other one crying about something._

LoLo sat on the bed and stared at Lin as she wandered restlessly about his bedroom. “You coming to bed or not?”

She shook her head. “I think maybe I’ll just go back to my place tonight. I probably shouldn’t have come over.”

“You want to tell me what’s wrong?”

“Who said anything’s wrong?”

“Lin. We’ve been doing this for about a year now. I’m not an expert on the intricacies of Lin Beifong or anything, but even I can tell that something’s wrong. You want to talk about it?”

She stood for a moment, fists on her hips, staring at the floor, before sighing. “Jinora - you know, Tenzin’s oldest girl?” She didn’t wait for him to confirm that he knew who Jinora was. “She came by my place tonight to tell me she’d felt my mother passing.” She waved one hand. “Some sort of airbending spiritual woo-woo crap of hers. Anyhow. Yes. Apparently my mother’s dead.”

LoLo shot to his feet, as quickly as his bad knee would allow him. “Raava’s light! Damn. Lin, I’m so sorry. So very sorry.”

She shrugged. “It’s not that big a deal. We weren’t close. Just surprised me, that’s all.”

“Lin. She was your _mother_. It’s a big deal.”

Lin flung out a dismissive hand. “I went nearly thirty years without seeing or speaking to her. It was probably for the best. We didn’t get along all that well.”

LoLo put a hand to her shoulder. “I knew the two of you were estranged, but I don’t think I knew it was for that long.”

“We had a complicated relationship.” She shrugged again and walked away from him. “It’s going to hit my sister much harder than me. Jinora was going to place a radio call to her as soon as she got back to the Island.” She picked up a framed photo of LoLo with his family that he kept on his dresser, glanced at it, and put it back down. “I guess she’ll want to have some sort of funeral or something.” She sighed. “I suppose I can’t get out of it. I’ll have to make arrangements at work.”

“You’ll tell Mako, of course. I’m sure he and Wu will want to come as well.”

Lin scowled at him. “Why the hell would they come? Neither one of them ever even met my mother.”

LoLo looked at her patiently. “They’d come to support you, of course.”

Lin scoffed. “Well, I don’t need any support. I’m fine, I tell you.”

LoLo ignored this. “I’ll come as well.”

“No. No you will not. Why the fuck would I need you to come? No strings, remember?”

LoLo stepped forward to put his arms around her. “Lin,” he said softly. “Lin. Honey. Of course I’ll come. I understand you were estranged, but she was still your mother.”

Lin broke free of him. “Oh, and that’s all I need. Mako hovering over me like a spirits-damned platypus bear mother and Wu crying his damn fool eyes out over some woman he never met! Not to mention you! How the fuck am I supposed to explain the cook coming along!” She slammed her hand down on the dresser. “I don’t even want to go! I’ll go for Su’s sake because I am trying my damndest to rebuild my relationship with her and her kids but if it were up to me I’d get drunk and have a little party to celebrate! Everyone raise a glass! Toph Beifong, the world’s greatest earthbender and the shittiest mother that ever lived! Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out, Chief!” She spun suddenly and slammed her fist into the wall of LoLo’s bedroom, the plaster buckling and cracking underneath her assault. “Damn her anyhow! Damn her! DAMN HER!” She burst into tears, sobs pulling raggedly out of her chest, swaying with the force of it, her hands fisted against her chest, keening her grief.

LoLo wrapped her into his arms, holding her closely to him. “Oh, Lin. Lin. Honey. Lin.” He rocked her gently as she sobbed and wailed, pounding her fists onto his chest. He closed his eyes in sympathy as he held her through it, a few tears sliding down his own cheeks.


	22. An Itinerant Drowse: A Drive In The Countryside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Mako and Wu, before they got together: _Accidentally falling asleep together._

“Damn it’s hot today.” Mako stared irritably out of the window of the Satomobile.

“Can’t we roll down the windows?” Wu’s elaborate confection of bangs that waterfalled over his brow was decidedly frizzy and an uncomfortable dampness was spreading under his summer wool suit. “We’ve got another hour or so before we get back to the city limits. Surely it’s safe to roll them down out here.”

Mako shook his head. “Not a good plan.” He shot Wu a perfectly executed side-eye. “I was against this trip in the first place, you know.”

Wu blew a gust of air out of his mouth and kicked out his feet. “I wanted to see it. It’s not every day a fellow learns he owns a vineyard, after all!” He stuck his lower lip out glumly. “I wish we could have stayed in the wine cellars. It was nice and cool down there.”

“Yeah. It was.” Mako leaned back and closed his eyes, massaging at his temples. He had a headache building, which was a sure sign there was a thunderstorm on the way. He always got a bit of a headache until the storm broke. He wished this one would; anything to relieve the sultry heat. He shot a bit of a glare at their driver through the glass that separated the back of the car from the front. The driver had taken off his hat and uniform jacket and rolled _his_ windows down.

“Does your head hurt, Mako?” Wu’s voice was a little tentative. Mako opened his eyes to see Wu peering up at him.

“I have a little bit of a headache. I get them when the air pressure changes. It’s no big deal.”

Wu yawned and sighed, a fretful sound. “I should have brought a book.”

“Wouldn’t you puke in the car if you were reading?”

“No, I never get sick in cars. Or anything else.”

Mako grunted in reply and continued to rub his temples, fighting back a yawn. His eyes slid closed of their own accord. Spirits, but it was hot. Muggy. The air felt like you could drink it. He wished he was back in the wine cellars. For that matter, he wished he was off duty so he could have actually had some of the wine. He yawned and drooped a little to the side.

He dragged himself back into consciousness at the sound of something pattering on the roof of the car. _Rain_ , he thought, and he opened his eyes. There was an unfamiliar weight on his chest, and he peered down to see that Wu had slumped up against him, asleep, his head tipped back, his mouth slack. _Is he drooling?_  

Carefully and slowly Mako reached his hand over and rolled down the nearest window a crack. Fresh air flowed into the backseat, cool and smelling of wet earth. He took a deep breath. They were driving through what looked to be rice paddies on both sides of the road. Still in the countryside, then. He couldn’t have been asleep very long. 

Wu stirred and sat up, blinking. “Are we home yet?” he asked in a slightly bewildered tone and Mako was struck at how young he looked. He was only seventeen, his cheeks still scant of any beard, much to what Mako knew was Wu’s chagrin. He was so fragile like this, his mouth still soft with sleep, his dozy eyes lidded with those long eyelashes.

“Not yet. It’s raining, though.”

Wu smiled his delight and his face animated. “I love that smell. Don’t you love that smell? When it starts raining? I always loved it when it rained in the Upper Ring.” He shrugged a little. “Not that I was allowed to go out and play in it or anything, but I could still open my window a little and stick my fingers out.” He leaned across Mako and stuck his fingers out the window, waggling them a bit. Suddenly he gasped and slithered across Mako’s lap, nearly kneeing him in a place Mako really did not want kneed.

“Hey!”

“Mako! I saw lightning! Over there!”

“Yeah, I know, I felt it.”

Wu turned, those green eyes wide. “You can _feel_ it? Really?”

The corners of Mako’s mouth turned up slightly. “Yeah, really.”

Wu sat back, and Mako scooted over on the backseat, giving him more room. “That’s the owlcat’s pajamas, Mako! I wish I could do that!” His face lit up as another sliver of lightning split the sky. “Oh! I’m a little afraid of lightning!”

“Nothing to be scared of.” Mako patted his back awkwardly. Wu continued to watch out the window, gasping whenever the lightning sizzled and the thunder boomed, droplets of rain sneaking into the open window to splatter on his face.

 _He’s not so bad when he’s not being a little shit,_ Mako thought, and he smiled to himself when Wu jumped a little at a rumble of nearby thunder.


	23. An Endemic Walkabout: Mako Catches A Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Wuko: _Caring for each other while ill._

“Why are you out of bed?”

“I’m fine.” 

Wu looked Mako over. His nose was bright red, his cheeks were pale and he hadn’t shaved in two days. Never mind the black circles under his eyes and the fact that he sounded like a wolfbat had taken over his chest.

“That’s up for debate.”

“I don’t want to be in bed any more.”

“Mmmm. Well, I’d really rather you didn’t walk amongst us, shedding mucus like a snake sheds its skin.”

Mako stared at him blearily.

“You’re contagious, Mako. Go back to bed.”

“I’m fine. Just going to get some tea.” He coughed, a thick rasping noise. Then he sneezed, a sound loud enough to echo.

Wu stared at him and his lip curled up. “And there go the germs. I’ll bring you some tea. Go back to bed.”

“Don’t wanna. Wanna get my own tea.”

Wu sighed and stood up, putting his book down. “Mako, please don’t be balky. I know you dislike staying in bed. However, you will get better far more quickly if you do.”

“I don’t wanna be extra trouble.”

“Having you stay in bed for two weeks instead a few days because you point blank refuse to care for yourself properly _is_ extra trouble, as it happens.”

Mako’s lower lip stuck out in a beautiful pout. “You’re picking on me.”

“Darling, I am not picking on you. I am sending you back to bed.”

“If you loved me you’d let me get my own tea.”

“Yes, you’ve figured it all out. I don’t love you at all. Now go back to bed.”

“You’re meeeeeeean.”

“And you’re whining. Come along now. Be a good boy and go back to bed and I’ll bring you some tea. If you are an especially good boy I’ll rub your chest with that liniment that Qi brought you.”

“Qi brought me liniment. Qi loves me.”

“Undoubtedly.”

“But I’m boooored.”

“Well, it can’t be helped. Do you want me to read to you?”

“I don’t like your books. I don’t care if Lord Farty-ass puts his tongue down Lady Fancy-pants’s throat.”

Wu took a deep breath and mentally counted to three. “I will read you one of your books, then. You may choose. Now come along, back to bed.”

“I want to sit down here.”

“Mako, so far I have kept the children healthy, and that is in large part due to keeping you secluded from them. Do you really want them to catch this from you?”

“No!”

Wu’s eyes narrowed and his mouth flattened into a thin line.  _“Then go back to bed.”_

“Don’t yell at me! I’m sick! Why would you yell at me?” Mako looked like a small poodle monkey that had been kicked. 

Wu pointed towards the stairs. “Bed.”

“But I -”

“Bed.”

“I want -”

“Bed.”

“You aren’t -”

“ _Bed_.”

“You’re so mean. You aren’t the boss of me, you know.”

“My darling, I have been the boss of you since that day you first walked into my suite at the Four Elements. Everyone knows it. We only pretend otherwise to make you feel better. Now. You are going to walk back up those stairs. You are going to get back into bed, and I will bring you some tea and rub liniment into your chest and then I will read to you a bit until you fall asleep.”

“Until I fall asleep?”

“Yes. Until you fall asleep.”

“Okay. I hate sleeping alone in the bed. I hate it when you don’t sleep with me.”

“I know, darling. I don’t like it any more than you do. I miss you too but it can’t be helped. I really can’t afford to get ill at the moment. Now, go on up.” 

Mako turned and dragged himself towards the stairs, shuffling his feet. “Wu?”

“Yes?”

“Can I have a mochi? One of the coconut ones?”

“If you are in bed by the time I come up with the tea then I will give you a mochi.”

“A coconut one?”

“A coconut one.”

“Okay.” Mako started to haul himself up the stairs, blasting out another sneeze as he went.

Wu sighed to himself and rolled his eyes. “Coconut mochi. What a baby.” He walked into the kitchen.


	24. A Frigid Immersion: Giving Blueberry Spicehead A Bath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Ikki and Huan: _Taking a bath together._

“Okay, let me get the reins off of her and we can send her into the lake.” At Blueberry’s excited lunging, Ikki thumped her. “Blue! Hang on two seconds, girl! Wait!”

“Blue, you have to wait.” Huan stood between the air bison and the lake, smiling. “Ikki says two seconds but it will take longer than that. Then we will give you a nice scrub and you’ll feet better.” He thought for a moment. “Or maybe not, but you’ll smell better, so at least I’ll be happier.”

Blue huffed and slurped at Huan affectionately, her tongue running up the side of his neck, face and head. Huan let out with a horrified squeak; Ikki burst into laughter.

“Oh Spirits, I can’t believe she did that to you. Blue! No kissing Huan!”

Huan’s hand went up slowly to touch the side of his face, coming away wet and slightly gooey. “Oh. _Oh_.”

Ikki sent Blue’s reins over the side of the bison’s neck. “Okay, girl! You can get in now!” With a bellow Blueberry waddled her way into the lake, Ikki easily bending off of her and landing lightly onto the beach. Blue hit the lake with a bison-sized splash, water surging up from behind to drench Huan, still standing with his hand to his face, all the way up to his chest.

Huan screamed, his eyes flaring open and his hands flapping. “COLD! OH! COLD!”

Ikki fell over, wheezing with laughter. “Oh your face! Your face! Huan, I am so sorry, she’s just so happy to go swimming.”

“I don’t like this trip now.”

“Here, I brought some towels for us.”

Huan started to shuck off his clothes. “They’re wet. I’m wet. I didn’t want to get wet. We need a firebender for fire. Or a waterbender to take away the water. Something useful.”

“Sorry, I can’t help. Although I guess I could blow the water away?”

Huan gave her a dirty look. “Off of me? No thank you.”

“Well, I did at least bring matches, I thought we could make a fire anyhow. Even if I’m not as useful as a firebender.” She tried very hard to make herself stop laughing while she dug around in the pack she’d brought. “When she’s done soaking up half the lake we can brush her. Poor Blue, it’s been ages since she had a bath.” 

They both looked for a moment at Blue as she wallowed happily, diving in the water and shaking herself enthusiastically. 

“Ikki?”

“Yes?”

“Ikki, I have Blue spit on me.”

“I know you do.” She started to giggle again. “Do you want to wash it off? I brought regular soap for us just in case.”

“Ikki?”

“Yes?”

“I’m wet and I’m cold and I’m naked and I have Blue spit on me.”

“Is the lake really _that_ cold?”

Huan pointed at it, saying nothing. Ikki unzipped her wingsuit, rolling it down to her waist. She walked towards the lake, bending over to stick her hand in it. “Spirits! How it can be that cold! It’s summer!” She jumped back and started to rummage in her pack again, pulling out a box of matches.

Huan pointed at the nearest mountain. “Snow melt.”

Ikki thought for a moment. “Well, what if we just jumped in really quick, soaped up, and jumped right back out again?”

“That’s easy for you to say, you’re an airbender. You can keep warm. Earthbenders can’t keep warm. Well, except for maybe Bolin. But he’s not here and I am and I’m cold.”

“What if I promise I won’t use my bending to stay warm? I’ll just go in as cold as you are.”

Blue rolled over on her back and whuffled in ecstasy, her limbs splayed out as she floated.

“Make the fire first.”

“Get me some wood first. That’s your job, earthbender.” 

Huan stalked over to the nearest stand of trees, using slight adjustments of the earth to gather together deadfall and some broken branches. 

Ikki whistled after his naked behind. “My favorite kind of earthbending! Nude earthbending!” She giggled at the splendid example of a Beifong Death Glare he gave her over his shoulder. “Better be careful your face doesn’t freeze like that!”

“I think you’re the one that better be careful,” he grumped, carefully bending the wood down the beach her way. He broke up a few sticks for her and bent up a ring of earth around it as she built up a fire the way her uncle had taught her as a child. Once the fire was going she grinned at him and slid out of her own wingsuit. 

“Okay, on the count of three. We run into the water. I promise I won’t bend.” She held up her hand. “I’ve got the soap. Ready?” He nodded. “One…two…three!” She took off into the lake with him right behind her, both of them letting out with yelps of shock as they hit the frigid water. “Oh spirits oh spirits oh spirits,” she laughed, teeth chattering, as she quickly soaped herself down, handing the soap over to him as soon as she was done. Huan dunked himself under the water, staying under for about three seconds before shooting up with a breathless cry, fingers scrabbling the soap all over his body.

“My hair,” he managed, and Ikki yanked the soap out of his hand and scrubbed at his head. “Faster, faster,” he chanted, and she was so cold that her laughter came out in little shrieked spurts.

It was just as Ikki had finished soaping up her own hair that Blue suddenly lunged up beside them, bellowing and doing her very best air bison belly flop, dunking them both under the water and sending a wave over them. Ikki came out of the water shouting, half running and half swimming to the shore. Huan was already dragging himself out, his long hair plastered over his face and his body shaking. With icy fingers Ikki grabbed up the towels she’d brought, wrapping one around Huan first before using one on herself.

“You c..ca…can bend yourself warm,” Huan gasped out, managing to put another chunk of wood on the fire. Ikki’s only answer was to wrap herself around him, heating herself up with her breathing, letting her body heat soak into his. “I think I liked that volcano island better,” he said, and she nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck and laughed. 


	25. An Assertion Of Parenthood: Wu Becomes A Father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Wuko: _Cuddling in a blanket fort._

Mako nearly jumped out of his skin when the hand reached out from underneath what looked like an excellent example of a blanket fort and curled around his ankle.

“Shhhhh,” came Wu’s voice, very quietly. “You’ll wake her up.” Mako went to his knees and carefully and quietly moved aside one of the blankets. Wu was laying inside with one arm curled loosely around a sleeping Naoki, her limbs sprawled gracelessly across the rug. He smiled at Mako and motioned him in.

Mako eased in, trying to keep his head low. He settled himself down on the rug, shifting Naoki very slightly as he propped himself up on one hand, smiling across her to Wu.

“How was your day?” Wu whispered.

“Fine,” Mako whispered back. He very gently moved a stray whisp of hair from Naoki’s cheek before glancing around at the blankets enclosing them. “Whose idea was this?”

“Lozan’s. Or LoLo, I guess, that’s what she calls him, he seems to like it. He told me there wasn’t a child alive who didn’t like to build forts with blankets. He was right.” Wu looked at her. “I’ve never built one before. I hope it was satisfactory.”

“She’s only two. I’m sure she thought it was the best thing ever.”

“I hope so, Mako. I wish I knew what to do with her. I feel so stupid. At least she likes _you_.”

“She knows me a little bit. She doesn’t know you yet, but she will. Don’t worry about it so much, it’s only been a few days. It’s been a big change for her. Give her a little time to adjust.”

“That’s what LoLo says. I like him, Mako. I think we should keep him.”

“He’s not a stray, Wu. We can’t just _keep_ him.”

Wu dismissed this with a very small hand gesture, glancing down at Naoki to make sure she was still sleeping. He continued to whisper. “He told me today he doesn’t have anywhere else to go, now that’s he’s been discharged from the Navy. He said he could go back to his parents, but he didn’t look very happy about it.” Wu was quiet for a moment. “I was thinking, if he wanted to stay, we could remodel the study and the music room next to the kitchen, give him his own little suite. I wouldn’t want to ask him to walk up and down the stairs to the third floor or the flat above the garage, not with his knee the way it is. I can just as easily move those rooms up to the third floor, we’re not even using it as of yet.”

“Thought this all out, have you?”

“He’s very efficient, for one thing, and for another, I do like him. He cooks like a dream.”

“He is a damn fine cook, I will give you that.”

“Well, we have to get somebody, I can’t be expected to do any of it.”

Mako grinned at him. “You could always learn to cook.”

“Oh, and you could always learn the proper protocol as to how you greet each and every noble family in what was formerly the Earth Kingdom, but I guess you aren’t going to do that either, hmm? Newsflash! You should be giving what is referred to as the Half Crane Bow to your boss every time she walks into the room.”

“If I bowed to her when she walked into the room she’d bend my ass into next week.”

Wu rolled his eyes. “Republic City peasantry, that’s what you lot are.”

Before Mako could answer, Naoki opened her eyes and looked at him, scowling for a moment before looking back at Wu, knuckling at her eyes. “Papa,” she said, and buried her face into Wu’s chest. Wu’s arm automatically went around her to pull her close and he looked at Mako, his eyes filling up with tears as he smiled, that sweet smile that Mako loved so much. Mako’s eyes filled up as well.

“Papa’s right here, darling,” Wu said, and kissed the top of her head.


	26. An Underwater Campaign: Toys In The Bath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Wuko: _Taking a bath together._

Wu came into the bedroom, unbuttoning his jacket. 

“The Fire Nation is on our tail! Dive! Dive!”

Wu silently slipped off his shoes and jacket, tiptoeing to peek around the door leading into the bathroom. In the mirror he could see Mako, sitting in the bath, bubbles up to his chin, with two of Naoki’s toy boats in his hands.

“Damn it! They’re too close!”

Wu pulled back away from the door, biting his lips to keep from laughing. Quickly he stripped his clothes off, not even hanging them up carefully as was his usual custom.

“They’re building up speed! Captain! We’ll never outrun them!”

Wu stepped into the bathroom. “Can’t you bend lightning at them?”

“AUGH!” Mako shouted, half leaping up, water and bubbles surging out of the tub to puddle on the floor. The boats disappeared. “What the fuck! You damn near stopped my heart!”

Wu had to grab at the counter to stop himself from falling over, he was laughing so hard. 

“Damn it, Wu! I thought you were supposed to be out until late!”

Wu waved one hand in the air, still laughing. “ _Obviously_.”

Mako cheeks had turned a fascinating color and he went to cross his arms across his chest, forgetting his hands were full of boats. This only made Wu laugh harder. “Wu!”

“I’m sorry! Oh, don’t be grouchy, Mako. Come, it was funny. I don’t care if you play with the boats. Look, I’ll come and play boats with you.” Wu eased himself into the tub. “You could heat up the water a little, please.”

Mako obliged. “What happened at your meeting?”

Wu shrugged. “Oh, two of the ladies got into quite the heated argument and one of them revealed that she knew the other had had a little tryst with her husband. Scandal for _days_ , I assure you. Very entertaining, but it did mean an early end to the evening, alas.” He held out his hand. “A boat, if you please.”

“Don’t make fun.”

“I am most certainly not making fun. I have never played with a toy in the bath, I am quite looking forward to it. What kind of a boat is it?” 

Mako handed him one of the toys. “It’s not a boat, it’s a submarine. They go under the water.” Mako demonstrated under the bubbles. 

“Have you ever been on one?”

“What, a submarine? No.”

“We should ask Iroh for a ride in one.”

Mako got the irritated look on his face that he got whenever Iroh’s name was mentioned. “Hmph.”

“So is my boat the bad guys’ boat or the good guys’ boat?”

“Which do you want to be?”

“Oh, the bad guys, naturally!” Wu’s eyes lit up.

“Fine, you’re the Fire Nation.”

Wu clapped his hands together, nearly crushing his boat. “Excellent!” He made a noise like a car driving off as he pushed his toy through the tub.

“Wu, it’s a submarine, not a car.”

“Oh whatever, Mako. You had best move your boat there along with some alacrity, because when I catch your boat I shall bomb it right out of the water.”

“You can try,” Mako said, and sent his own boat plunging down.


	27. An Impaired Connection: Ikki Takes Ill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Huan and Ikki: _Caring for each other while ill._

“Huan, I just want to sleep, okay? Just do whatever you want.” Ikki pulled the covers back over her head. Airbenders filtered out bad air when they breathed as a matter of habit and training; however, food poisoning wasn’t anything her bending was going to help her with. After an entire night of it she was way past mere miserable.

Huan hovered near the bed, his fists clenched. “But we always have breakfast together.”

“Huan! Stop! I can’t have any breakfast! Spirits, I can’t keep anything down and I hurt too much to eat anyhow.” She knew she should drink some water but the idea of even moving was too much for her.

Huan rocked back and forth, brow furrowed. “Should I skip breakfast and wait for you?”

“Damn it! Huan! Can I just worry about myself for a change!” She sat up to shout at him and her stomach lurched and she ran feebly for the bathroom, bringing up nothing but bile. Exhausted, she lay on the floor.

“Ikki, please tell me what to do.” He’d followed her and stood in the doorway, his fingers fluttering.

Ikki started to cry, her stomach muscles screaming at her. She felt so wretched, so exhausted. “Just go away. I’m sick. I can’t help you right now.”

“Go away to where?”

She looked up at him, standing in the doorway, his face a mask of utter blankness. That was the face he made when he was about to have one of his meltdowns, she knew. It was coming, she could hear it in his rapid breathing, see it in the shaking of his hands and the way his eyes refused to lock onto anything. She couldn’t. She just couldn’t. Not right now. “Huan, please go to the kitchen and get yourself some tea and some jook. Maybe you could ask Yung if he has anything for you to do today, okay?”

He nodded quickly. “Okay. I’ll ask Yung.” He didn’t leave, however, but rather stood there, indecisively. 

“Go on, now. I’ll be fine.” She wasn’t fine, she knew, but she needed him to go before she said something she would regret. She closed her eyes as she heard him walk out. She knew he wasn’t being an ass. She knew he was worried and scared; whenever that happened he’d shut right down. He’d been doing so well up here, functioning so well, even trying new things, like attempting to cook a little and going down without her to the village. But something like this, something so small, it reminded her that Huan was not like everyone else. He depended on her so much, sometimes it frightened her. What would become of him if something happened to her? He did so well right up until the moment he didn’t. 

And who was going to take care of her if she needed it?

She wrapped her arms around her aching belly, laying on the floor, and tried not to cry.


	28. A Painful Laceration: Ikki Cuts Her Finger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Ikki and Baatar: _Patching up a wound._

“What happened?”

Ikki glanced up to see Baatar frowning down at her. “Oh, stupid of me. I was trying to slice some onions and I got myself with the knife.”

“Let me take a look.” 

“It’s fine. You don’t need to bother. Seriously. No big deal.” That’s all she needed, Baatar yanking her finger about, yelling at her for being careless. He ignored her protests, however, sitting down next to her and gently taking her hand in his, peering at her finger. 

“This looks fairly deep, although it’s hard to tell with all the bleeding. We need that to stop. Hang on a minute.” He got up and rummaged in a drawer until he’d found a clean towel. Coming back he wrapped Ikki’s finger in it and pressed down on the wound. “You need to put pressure on it and elevate it over your heart, that’s what will stop the bleeding.” He raised her finger up and held it there. “Once the bleeding has stopped I’ll see if it needs to be sewn up. Otherwise we’ll disinfect it and bandage it.”

Ikki eyed him suspiciously. “How do you know?”

He shrugged. “My mother had this special after school program for all the bending kids. Mostly earthbenders, of course. Anyhow, they’d get official training in the forms and everything, she hired special teachers for it. It left the non-benders with nothing to do after school, though. So she put together this sort of scouting program. The rest of us - the non-benders, I mean - we’d go out and learn how to do practical things, like start fires and tie knots and sail boats, that kind of thing. One of the things we learned was how to deal with basic wounds.” He gave that little half smile of his, an upwards quirk of his mouth. “Opal can build an excellent campfire in no time flat, believe it or not.”

“So how are you with campfires?” She was curious, despite herself.

“I manage. I always liked the knot tying part. My Dad got me a book that had diagrams of all of these various types of knots, I used to practice for hours. Still do it, even now. If I’m stuck on an idea or a problem and I can’t get it right, I just tie knots for awhile, distract myself. It allows my brain to figure things out. Don’t know why, but it works.”

“Huh,” Ikki said. She’d never known that about him. “So Huan went to that after school program? The bending one?”

Baatar shook his head, and then carefully unwound the towel, looking closely at her wound. “Bleeding’s stopped, we need to clean it.” He put his hand to her elbow and guided her to the sink, rinsing off her finger with plenty of clean water and soap. He sat her back down and fetched the First Aid kit. “Huan barely managed school. He had a really tough time, the other kids were little shits to him and the teachers weren’t much better. No, when he trained he trained with my grandmother. The twins trained with my mother, for the most part. Sometimes they’d go with the other kids to the after school program, depending on whether or not my mother could spare the time. But mostly they trained with her.” He had been threading a needle with strong black cotton thread. “Okay, I’m going to need to give it a few stitches. It’s going to hurt, no getting around it.”

“Okay,” she said, frowning a bit. He took her finger up and continued speaking while he stitched.

“So this one time the scouts - we were called Zaofu Scouts, there were ranks and badges and things you could earn, very official and everything - we were going on a three day camping trip outside of the city. The twins were pissed off because they wanted to go. Wei threw a fit, and by threw a fit I mean he bent up half the courtyard, I thought my mother was going to kill him. Anyhow, my mother, she was smart enough to say no. She was not flexible on that for anyone, the Scouts were for non-benders only, it was the one thing we didn’t have to give way to the benders over, you know? So anyhow, Opal was maybe about ten or so and it was her first long overnighter. My parents told me I was to keep an eye on her. Which wasn’t a problem, I loved Opal. She was a great kid. Tops at being a baby sister.” 

Ikki winced a little as the needle started to pull her flesh together. 

“When it came time to start the campfire, Opal was ready. She’d been practicing with flint and steel at home, she was going to try for her campfire building badge. She gathered together all the wood, stacked it up perfectly, had it all safely inside a fire ring she’d built. She started it up and it took right away. Perfect campfire. I remember her face, she was so proud of herself, so happy. And then this other kid - Won, he was a real little shit, used to pick on Huan as well - he dumped a big bucket of water right on it, immediately put it out. Opal started crying, the Scoutmaster yelled at him, like Won gave a shit. Of course they gave Opal her badge, but he’d ruined it for her, you know?”

“Oh, poor Opal.”

“Yeah, she was heartbroken. So anyhow, it’s not like I was going to beat the shit out of that kid or anything, I was a ninety pound weakling back in those days. So instead I waited until it was dark and everyone was sleeping and I snuck out and drove one of the jeeps we’d all come in back home - I wasn’t a great driver or anything but my Dad let me drive around with him on the back roads. In retrospect I’m lucky I didn’t wreck the damn thing, I was only about fourteen. So anyhow, I went back to the house and I got the twins up, told them I needed them for Operation Opal’s Revenge. They immediately came with me, they didn’t even get dressed. Did the whole thing in their pajamas. So I got us back there and I told them exactly what it was I needed them to do, and they bent Won’s entire tent up a tree. Took it up there with an earth ledge and then smoothed it back down like it had never happened. Well. They always were amazing benders, especially when they worked together. Everybody slept through it, including Won, that’s how quiet and gentle they were. After they were done I drove them back, swore them to secrecy. They thought it was the best thing ever, shit, they were funny little kids. I drove back, parked the jeep exactly how I’d found it, went into my own tent and got a few hours of sleep.”

“So he woke up in the tree in the morning?” Ikki started laughing.

“Scared him so bad he started screaming, pissed his pants.” Baatar gave an actual chuckle. “And they couldn’t figure out who had done it! There weren’t any benders along! I always wondered if the Scoutmaster suspected me, but if she did, she sure as hell never said anything about it.” He tied off the bandage. “Okay, you’re all set. You probably would have been fine without the stitches but better safe than sorry. Keep it clean and dry. If you do get it wet come and find me and I’ll put a clean dressing on it. Even if you don’t I had better check it tomorrow morning and I’ll put a clean dressing on it then.”

Ikki stared at her finger, neatly bandaged up. “I didn’t even notice you doing it.”

“Yeah, a little distraction never hurt anyone. Guess how many times I had to bandage the twins up? If you didn’t keep Wei distracted he’d scream bloody murder. And let’s not even discuss Huan. In any case, I need to get going, Mauja’s probably wondering where the hell I am. I’ll see you later.” He got up, putting the First Aid kit back in its place on his way out of the kitchen.

“Well, then,” said Ikki to the empty room. “That was unexpected.”


	29. A Breathless Waltz: Su Gets A New Gramophone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Suyin and Baatar Sr: _Slow dancing._

“Excuse me? Miss Beifong?” Baatar stood next to the open flap of the room-sized tent she’d claimed for her own out at the building site, a large box in his arms. “I'm just letting you know I'm back.”

Su looked up from the letter she was writing and smiled. “It’s just Su, remember?” Oh, he was handsome. So handsome. He’d been recommended to her as _the_ up and coming young architect in the Earth Kingdom; full of brilliant ideas, wild ideas, ideas that most other established architects wanted nothing to do with. _That’s the one for me_ , she’d thought as she walked down the street of the Middle Ring, looking for his office. Yes, she’d been told he was young. She hadn’t been told how good looking he was, though. Tall, broad shouldered, unruly black hair that tumbled over his forehead, olive green eyes hidden behind wire-rimmed spectacles. She’d walked into his office, taken one look at him and perched herself on his desk, just to see what he’d do. 

He’d shoved his spectacles up his nose with his thumb and forefinger, blinked once and had said, cool as you please, _May I help you, Miss?_

She’d been so afraid he wouldn’t take the job. She’d already tried four other architects at that point. _A city made of metal? Impossible!_ she’d been told. She had explained it all to him, though, this Baatar, hailing from up north, and he had paged through her crude drawings, saying nothing, frowning just slightly as she spoke. Finally he looked up at her and he’d grinned, and his entire face transformed. _You have the money to do this?_ he asked, and she’d grinned back. _The Beifong fortune is at your disposal_ , she’d replied and he nodded. _We’re going to need it_ , he said, and her heart had leapt in her chest.

“I was able to get most of what we need. I’m still not satisfied with the glass for the windows, though. I’ve heard there’s a company in Republic City that might fulfill our requirements. I took the liberty of wiring them and asking them to send out samples. I hope that’s all right.”

“Goes without saying,” she said, waving him off. “I leave that in your very capable hands.” She looked at the box he was carrying. “Is that my package?”

“Yes, of course,” he replied. “If I may?” He gestured with the box towards her table and she motioned him in. He had such polite and old fashioned manners, always so formal. He had told her once, when she asked, that it was how he had been raised. Mountain manners, he’d called them. She wondered what he’d be like without those manners. She wondered, not for the first time, if she could convince him to drop them.

She quickly bent the nails out of the wood, motioning Baatar to help her remove what was inside. It was a gramophone, a small one, one that she could keep in her tent. She’d missed having her music around, missed having its accompaniment when she was practicing her dancing. There was an old phonograph at her grandparents’ house in Gaoling that she could have taken, but it was large and difficult to move. 

“It’s a gramophone,” he said, staring down at it.

“Sure is,” she replied, and she pulled the box of records that she’d brought with her from under her camp bed. “Wind it up for me, would you?” She grabbed the first disc and put it on as Baatar continued to wind it up, waiting for him to finish before she set the needle down carefully.

The music came through the large bell; clear and easy. [A man’s voice sang out.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAeMqGibd9g)

 _Meet me tonight in dreamland,_  
_under the silvery moon;_  
_Meet me tonight in dreamland,_  
_where love's sweet roses bloom._

Su was smiling down at the gramophone when a strong hand took hers into it, spinning her effortlessly into Baatar’s arms. He moved her across the waxed canvas floor of her tent gracefully, waltzing her about. Her heart started to speed up. She had no idea why; it wasn’t the first time she’d been danced with, not by a long shot. She was no innocent maiden; she hadn’t been for a long time. But there was something about this man, this formal man, with his spectacles and his quiet way of speaking, his distracted air when he was working, the way he looked at her sometimes, like he wanted to kiss the sense right out of her. 

“Sorry, Miss Beifong,” he murmured into her ear. “I’m not sure what came over me.”

“It’s Su,” she replied automatically, pressing herself into him until there wasn’t any air between the two of them, her mouth hovering a mere breath away from his.

“Susi,” he whispered, and then his mouth was on hers.


	30. A Heavyhearted Sendoff: Wu Leaves For Ba Sing Se

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Wu and Grandma Yin: _One character adjusting the other's jewelry/neck tie/ etc._

Wu watched as the flight crew took out the last of his suitcases. He didn’t have much in the way of personal belongings; his wardrobe, certainly, but that was about it. He’d been living out of suitcases for the past three years. Gun, his Grand Secretariat, had already written to tell him that they were putting him up in someone else’s house, some Upper Ring residence. 

One more place that wasn’t a home.

He turned to look at himself in the mirror. He was ready to go, although he’d looked everywhere for his favorite yellow silk scarf and couldn’t find it. Well. He could always get another one in Ba Sing Se.

He’d really hoped that Mako would have shown up, but no sign of him yet. Wu tried not to be hurt. He knew Mako wasn’t back to work yet; his injury was still giving him a lot of grief and Chief Beifong refused to let him start working until he got the all clear from the healers. He’d been pretty scarce the past week, though. 

“You look very nice, Your Highness.” Yin, Mako’s grandmother, was standing in the door of his bedroom, smiling gently at him.

“Thank you, Grandma. As always, you’re a vision in green yourself!” 

Yin beamed at him. “Your Highness must be very glad to get back to Ba Sing Se.”

“Ah. Well.” Wu wasn’t really glad at all. He wasn’t very sure of what his reception was going to be, for one thing, and for another, he didn’t even know Ba Sing Se. He’d hardly ever left the palace.

“I have a little something for you, Your Highness.”

“You do?” Wu loved surprises. “What is it?”

“I made you a little care package. Just some of my sticky dumplings and a few other treats. I thought it might be nice to have a little something to snack on in the airship.” She handed him a box wrapped in a clean napkin, tied into a jaunty little bow. 

Wu took it and felt tears coming. “Oh, Grandma. Thank you. Thank you so much.” A fat tear rolled down his cheek to plop onto his collar. 

“Now now, Your Highness. None of that now. Why just think of all the important things you’ll be doing there!”

“Oh Grandma, I will miss you all so much!” Impulsively Wu threw his arms around her, still making sure not to squeeze too much. Grandma was too precious for a lot of squeezing.

Grandma returned the hug, rubbing his back. “Why, we will miss you as well. All of us. We’ve so enjoyed having you stay with us. If you had asked me when I was a girl if I’d be making dumplings for a member of the royal family I would have just told you to stop your foolishness!”

“I never had a real Grandma, you know. All three of mine died before I was born. I hope you don’t mind, but I sometimes think of you as my very own Grandma.”

Yin pulled back from him to take his face into her hands. “Well, and I shouldn’t say it, I know it isn’t proper. But I like to think of you as my very own boy.”

“You do?”

She patted his cheek very gently. “I do. And you are a very good boy, Your Highness. A very good boy indeed. I know you are stepping down and everyone has explained to me why. I suppose change happens. But I will tell you, I think you would have made a good King as well.”

“Thank you, Grandma,” he whispered. “That means a lot to me.”

“Now, chin up!” She adjusted his collar and made sure his cravat was straight before pulling out a hankie and wiping at his eyes and patting down his face. “You go on out there and put your best foot forward. If you think of it, why write us a letter or two, let us know what is going on. Not that we won’t hear about it from the newspapers.” She smiled. “Think, all five of my grandchildren can read and write! Oh, I know Tu struggles, but even still. I would have never dreamed about that. Modern times, I suppose. Perhaps one day everyone will know how to read or write.” She gave his nose an affectionate and very un-royal boop. “Maybe you’ll see to it, hmm?”

He smiled back at her. “Maybe I will.”

“Now, let me hug you one last time and then you had best get going. Everyone is waiting to see you off.” Wu hugged her again and then offered her his arm, escorting her out the front doors and around the grounds to the landing strip where one of Future Industries’ airships was waiting to take him back to Ba Sing Se. He scanned the crowd as they approached but didn’t see Mako. _I won’t cry_ , he thought; instead he gave hugs and kisses (and a hankie to a sobbing LiLing, who made him promise to write). Up the gangplank he went, waving and waving, running without any dignity at all up to the small observation deck so that he could lean over the rail to wave some more. The crew released the tethers and the ship started its slow and stately ascent.

“Goodbye,” he shouted, even though he knew they probably couldn’t hear him. “Goodbye! Thank you! Thank you!” Everyone waved back, the smaller children running along under the airship’s shadow across the ground below.

It was only as the ship turned itself eastwards that he saw Mako, standing against a tree along the edge of the property, his face turned towards the sky, the telltale whiteness of his sling showing up against the green of his suit. Mako did not wave; he just stared up at Wu as the airship took him farther away.

Wu stared back, his hands white-knuckled against the railing, until Mako disappeared into the distance.


	31. A Mingling Of Hands: A Visit To The Old Family Estate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Lin and LoLo: _Slow dancing._

“So no one knows you here?” LoLo poured the last of the wine into Lin’s glass.

“Doubtful. I visited my grandparents as a girl but not all that often. I haven’t been back to Gaoling in I don’t know…what, fifty years? Not since I was in my teens, anyhow. Although I do look a lot like my grandmother, so I suppose someone might recognize me due to that. Even still, she’s been gone for a long time.”

“And the estate has just stood empty?”

“Well, besides the two servants that have been keeping it up all these years, yes. Su never wanted it and I certainly didn’t. I suppose we could have sold it, but they left the estate to both of us and we weren’t in any contact at all for years, so. Here it’s sat.”

LoLo took the last sliver of crab off of his plate with his chopsticks. “What does Su say about it?”

Lin shrugged. “I don’t think she cares one way or the other. Wing’s there in Zaofu, Wei’s in Republic City along with Opal and who knows about Huan. I suppose he might want it, but I doubt it. I can’t imagine him wanting the responsibility of a huge estate like that, although I could be wrong.”

“And the other one?”

Lin sighed. “Don’t ask me. Su keeps talking that he’ll go back to Zaofu once he’s served his sentence but she’s delusional.”

“Does she really think he’d be welcome there?” LoLo looked skeptical.

“Oh, my sister and her kids, who the fuck can tell her anything? Well. Anyhow, I don’t want to talk about my sister and her kids tonight.”

LoLo smiled. “Do you want some dessert instead?”

Lin scoffed. “Of course I do. Some more wine, too.”

LoLo motioned the waiter over, ordering some chilled fruit and cheese as well as some more wine. “So what’s our plan?”

“Well, I promised Wu I’d stop in and say hello to that old friend of his mother’s. Chun. Other than that, I just need to take a look around the estate, see what needs fixing and approve it, that sort of thing. Baatar’s been doing it every year since he and Su were married, so I guess it’s only fair that I take my turn. I suppose we’ll eventually have to do something with it, but who knows. Sell it? Re-purpose it? It’s big. Well, you’ll see tomorrow.”

LoLo reached across the table and took her hands in his. “Meanwhile, tonight we’ve got the entire evening ahead of us. Nowhere to be, no one to bother us. You’ve got on a dress and I don’t have an apron on. So what do you say, pretty lady? They’ve got a dance floor. Want to take a turn with me?”

“I thought we had dessert coming.”

“It’ll keep. Come on.” He stood up and held his hand out towards her before smiling that slow dimpled smile that got her, every single damn time.

“Fine. If it’ll make you happy.”

He led her out to the dance floor before putting his arms around her. “You do know that you’re the most beautiful woman in this entire restaurant, don’t you?”

Lin snorted. “You’re drunk.”

“Nope. Not in the slightest. Unless I’m drunk in love with you.” He pulled back his head to wink at her.

“I bet you think you’re pretty smooth, don’t you?”

“Oh, I _know_ I am.”

“Hmph,” she said, but she rested her cheek on his, letting him lead her around the floor. “I don’t know why I brought you with me.”

“Can’t bear to be bereft of my company, of course. Here you’d be, all alone, without anyone fondle those magnificent breasts late at night.”

She laughed, in spite of herself. “Pretty damned full of yourself, aren’t you?”

He pulled her in tighter. “I do love you, Lin Beifong,” he said into her ear.

“Well, I guess the feeling’s mutual,” she replied, entwining her fingers through his as he smiled into her hair.


	32. A Sodden Runaway: Rohan Makes His Way Across The Bay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Rohan and Qi: _Reacting to the other one crying about something._

Qi paused at the bottom of the steps leading up to Qi’s flat above the garage, listening intently. Hard to gauge over the rain pounding down outside, but Qi was fairly sure Qi’d heard something in there. Qi eased in the door, nearly soundlessly, Qi’s hand sliding the knife down from the sheath on Qi’s opposite wrist.

It was sobbing. Someone was crying, and trying to stifle it. Qi pushed the knife back up until it clicked into place. Qi moved silently in the dimness of the unlit garage, easing around Mako’s car to see a huddled shape curled up in on itself, arms wrapped around its knees. Qi instantly recognized the airbending wingsuit. 

“It’s pretty cold in here. You wet?”

The figure startled and jerked, turning up a tear-stained face. It was Rohan, the youngest of the kids over on the Island.

“I...uh...” Rohan scrubbed at his face with his sleeves. “I wasn’t stealing anything.”

That got a little smile out of Qi. “I know you weren’t. You wet?”

Rohan blinked and tried to collect himself. His voice wobbled. “Um. A little bit, I think.”

“You think, huh? Come on.” Qi motioned with one hand.

“Where are we going?” Rohan stood up, already gangly tall at the age of thirteen, standing eye to eye with Qi. 

“Upstairs. You need a towel. Mebbe some tea. Come on.” Qi turned around and headed back out the door, climbing up the covered steps to the flat above the garage. Rohan trailed after, still sniffling. Qi toggled the lights as they came in, directing Rohan straight into the bathroom. “Take off them wet things, dry off with a towel. You can put on my robe. Don’t think it's to your style but I’ll fetch you somethin’ of LoLo’s later. Least it will be dry.”

Qi left him alone and Rohan shivered out of his wet wingsuit, trying to scrub some warmth into himself with the towel. Qi’s robe was aqua silk, patterned with birds and flowers in rainbow colors. It wasn’t anything like Qi’s usual uniform, plain and severe in dark gray and Rohan wasn’t sure what to make of it. By the time he came back out into Qi’s living room there was tea steeping. His stomach growled.

“Ain’t got much up here to eat, no need to, I always just go into the kitchen. You drink some tea, tell me what this is all about, then I’ll take you to LoLo, let him feed you. Your folks know where you at?”

Rohan shook his head miserably.

“Your Mama, she’s probably worried where you are.” Qi poured the tea into a beautiful cup, nodding Rohan towards the sofa before handing it over. “How’d you get over here anyhow?”

“Hid on the ferry,” said Rohan. He drank some of the tea, scalding his mouth a little. “I didn’t have any money to pay them. I don’t...I don’t have any money.”

“Well, you don’t fret about that. You can always pay ‘em back later.” Qi sat next to him, cradling a matching tea cup. “So. Why’d you run? You been in my garage all day?”

Rohan shook his head. “I walked around town for awhile, but I didn’t have any money and it started to rain and I was cold. I didn’t know where else to go. I asked someone where the park was, I remembered you lived across from Magnolia Park. They gave me directions and I started walking.”

“You walk across the bridge from town and everythin’? In the rain?”

Rohan nodded and drank some more tea.

Qi sighed. “Well next time, you get stuck, you call here, I’ll come get you. Okay? You just tell the operator you need to be callin’ Prince Wu, they’ll get it to us. You call me and I’ll come get you, no questions asked. That city, it ain’t all a safe place to be. I know you’re a good bender, but even still. It ain’t a good idea.”

Rohan’s eyes filled up again. “People were yelling things at me. Mean things.”

Qi grimaced. “Yeah, some people are real assholes. Well, you never mind all that. You’re safe now, okay?” Rohan started to sob again and Qi put a hand to his back, rubbing in soothing circles. “You had a bad day, no mistake. You have a fight with your Daddy or somethin’?”

Rohan’s eyes widened through the tears. “How did you know that?” he hiccuped.

Qi smiled, just a little. “Lucky guess. You want to talk about it? Get it off yer chest?”

“He’s not fair! By the time he was my age Meelo had been off by himself, had fought off the Colossus. He’d done all of these things and they don’t hardly ever let me off the Island, even!”

Qi nodded. “You don’t sound none too happy about that.”

“I want to do something! I never get to leave! And Jinora’s always too busy and Ikki left,” this got another sob, “and Meelo and Dad fought and fought until Uncle Bumi took him away to the Southern Air Temple. I train and I train every day and that’s it. There’s no one to talk to and nothing to do but meditate. Dad says that my goal is to be the best airbender I can be, but I don’t know why he cares. He’s too busy with all the other airbenders. The new airbenders, I mean. He doesn’t have any time for me anyhow.” Rohan raised his forearms to scrub at his eyes but realized at the very last second that he had on Qi’s robe. Qi handed him over a handkerchief. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.”

“Your yellin’ don’t hurt me none. Sometimes it’s best to get it all out.”

“It’s just...I’m not a _baby_. I want to _do_ something.”

“Like what?”

Rohan looked taken aback. “I..I don’t know. _Something_.”

Qi stared at Rohan for a long moment. “Mebbe you can come over here some. I’ll talk to Mako ‘bout it. I know he’ll agree. He can talk to your folks, they don’t know me.”

“I could come over here?”

“Visit a little. Give you a change of scenery. It’s not adventure, but it’s somethin’, at least.”

Rohan’s face brightened. “Maybe I could even stay over?”

Qi winked. “We gotta guest room and everythin’.” Qi stood up and collected Rohan’s tea cup. “You go on now, give your face a good wash. Hang up that wet suit of yours if you haven’t done it already. I’ll sneak you in the back so’s you can put on somethin’ of LoLo’s before the Butterfly catches you in that and teases you ‘bout it. LoLo was makin’ buns this afternoon, I bet they’re ready.”

Rohan stood fidgeting for a moment. “Thank you, Qi.”

“For what?”

“Being so nice to me. For not making fun.”

“Thirteen ain’t an easy thing to be. I remember. You’re a nice kid, Rohan. A nice kid who had a bad day. It happens. Now go on, wash that face and we’ll get LoLo to feed you up.”

“Okay!” Rohan dashed back into the bathroom. Qi took both cups into the kitchen and rinsed them, humming a little under Qi’s breath.


	33. A Sweet Remembrance: LoLo Talks To Norbu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> LoLo and Norbu: _Cuddling in a blanket fort_ and _Sharing a dessert._

“Bu? You in there, sweetheart?”

A little head peeked out from between two of the blankets. “Hi, LoLo. I’m here.”

“Well, why the long face?”

Bu’s lower lip quivered. “Everybody went to the park to play, but Mommy says I can’t go today because I couldn’t breathe so good last night. And Meili’s taking a nap. I’m all by myself.”

“Meili had to take a nap, sweetheart, but I agree, it’s no fun that everyone else went to the park and left you alone. So what do you say, can I come in?”

Bu’s face brightened. “Sure! Come on in!”

LoLo lowered himself carefully to the floor, ignoring the furious protest from his knee. “This is quite a fine fort you’ve got here. How many chairs?”

“Eight whole chairs!”

“That’s a pretty big fort!” He slid himself inside to sit with his bad leg straight out in front of him, gritting his teeth a bit. “Whose idea was it to add the hole up there at the top?”

“Oh, Zhi’s. He said we needed plenty of air and that we could also use it to watch for enemy spies.”

“Well, that’s Zhi for you. Now, guess what I have?”

“A book?”

LoLo smiled. “No, not a book. Guess again.”

Bu screwed up his face, thinking hard. “A pillow?”

“Nope!”

“I don’t know, LoLo! Tell me!” Bu’s eyes were shining. “Is it a good surprise?”

“It sure is!” LoLo produced two slabs of plum cake from the pocket of his apron, wrapped in napkins. “Look at that! You like plum cake!”

“I like yours!” Bu took a little nibble off the edge. “LoLo, when you were little, did you like to build forts?”

“I did. We used to build grand ones. Although one time I remember we built one outside with my mother’s clean sheets that she’d left out on the line to dry and oh boy, we got in big trouble for that one.”

Bu giggled. “Was your Mommy real mad?”

“Oh, you better believe it. We got those sheets all muddy. She made us wash them all over again and we had to get out all the mud. That was the last time we did _that_ , let me tell you.”

“Do you have brothers and sisters?”

“I'll say I do. I’m the oldest, and I have five brothers and three sisters, all of them living in the Fire Nation.”

“Wow! That’s a lot. Did you have a favorite brother or sister?”

LoLo reached across and smoothed Bu’s hair back. “I did, yes. My littlest brother, Juzaburo. We called him Juza for short. He was born when I was fourteen.”

“So he was lots younger than you. Is he still your favorite now? When was the last time you saw him?”

LoLo’s face stilled. “Ah. Well, I haven’t seen him in a long time. A very long time.”

“How come? Did you have a fight?”

“No. He...well, honey, he had to leave us. When he was only three. It happens sometimes. He...it’s a long story. A story for when you’re older, if you still want to hear it.”

Bu reached over and hugged LoLo. “You have such a sad face right now. Are you sad about it?”

“Yes, honey. I’m sad about it. I will probably always be sad about. He was a very special little boy and I still miss him. You remind me a lot of him.”

“I do?”

LoLo kissed the top of Bu’s head. “You sure do. He was sweet and funny and precious, just like you are.”

“Was your Mommy sad, when he had to go?”

“Oh honey, she was. She really was. My father, too. We were all sad. I was so sad I didn’t even want to live in my house any more, that’s why I went off and joined the Navy.”

“But LoLo, wasn’t your Mommy sad that you left, too?”

“Yes. She was. She was very sad. Now that I’m all grown up I wish I hadn’t done it.”

“Is she still sad?”

“That I left, you mean? No, I don’t think so, not any more. It was a long time ago.”

“Maybe someday I could meet your Mommy! Do you think she would like me?”

LoLo cuddled Bu into his arms, kissing him on both cheeks. “I know she would like you. Very very much. Almost as much as I do, I bet.”

“LoLo?”

“Yes, Bu?”

“I’m really glad we’re friends.”

LoLo held the child close. “Me too, sweetheart. Me too.”


	34. A Relaxing Proposition: Korra Massages Asami

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from [Tumblr.](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Korra and Asami: _Shoulder rubs._

Asami stretched her neck to one side with a deep crunching noise. She put her pen down for a moment to rub her forehead, suppressing a yawn.

“Time to quit yet?” Korra spoke up from the sofa in the far corner of Asami’s office. Asami hadn’t even noticed her sitting there.

“I should probably finish up these sets of figures for this quarter’s sales revenue first.”

“Yeah. What I heard was blah blah sales blah I am not going to eat any dinner once again blah.”

Asami smiled. “I did eat lunch. Am I forgiven?”

“Put it in writing, I’ll consider it.” Korra hopped off the sofa and came over to peer at the papers on the desk. “I don’t know how you wade through this every month. It makes zero sense to me.”

“It doesn’t make much more sense to me, that’s why it always takes me so long to do it. Accounting isn’t really part of my skill set.”

“And once again, why is it you can’t hire someone else to do it for you?” Korra crossed her arms over her chest.

“Korra. You know how I feel about it. I can’t risk losing this company. I’ve been screwed over too many times in the past.”

“How hard can it be to find someone you’d trust?” Korra came around the back of Asami’s chair and dug her strong fingers into Asami’s neck and shoulders. “You feel like a rock. How long do you think you can keep this up?”

“As long as I have to,” Asami said. Her voice was weary. She sighed and closed her eyes as Korra tried to ease the knots out.

“But if you could find someone you could trust, would you consider it? Turning over the financial part at least?”

“I would consider it. Contrary to popular belief I don’t actually want to be spending all of my time trying to get all of these numbers right. While I’m busy doing this I can’t work on any of the prototypes for the new motorcycle. Which is what I want to be doing right now, believe me.”

Korra kissed the back of her neck. “I’m not trying to make it more difficult, sorry.” Asami reached a hand up to her neck and squeezed one of Korra’s hands in hers before letting it drop. Korra continued to work the knots out of Asami’s neck until she let out with a gasp. “Oh, found a spot there.” She dug a little deeper with her fingers. “I had lunch with Mako and Bo last week.”

“I remember. You told me.”

“Their cousin is finishing up her degree at Republic City University. Meng-Meng. You remember her, one of the refugees?”

“Do I remember her?”

“Sure you do, she’s the one who told Mako to pull his head out of his ass that one time.”

Asami gave a little laugh. “Okay, yeah. _That_ one. I remember her.”

“Anyhow, Mako mentioned that she would be graduating next month. She’s been studying both business and finance there. According to Mako, she’s a whiz at numbers. Better than he is, he said.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. And you know Mako. He wouldn’t say it if he didn’t believe it.”

“That’s true.”

“So I was thinking, maybe you should give her a call. See if she wants a job or something.”

Asami pulled away from Korra to look up at her. “Are you trying to get me to hire Mako’s cousin?”

Korra shrugged. “Well, you know her at least, right? Mako seems to really think highly of her. And you know I love to give Mako shit but if he thinks she’s good then I’d trust his judgement.”

Asami looked back down and Korra put her hands back on her shoulders, pressing in. “I would too, if it came to that. Oh, I don’t know.”

“Look, why don’t we invite her over for dinner or something? You can talk to her, get a better feel for her. Nobody is saying you have to do something you don’t want to. It’s just dinner.”

“Is this how you handle international relations? Give people shoulder rubs and bully them into inviting people over to dinner?”

“Hey, it’s the new and improved Avatar. Service with a smile!”

Asami laughed and leaned back into her. “I really do hate accounting.”

“Yeah, I know you do. And maybe she’s not what you are looking for. But she might be. And at least we know her and her family.”

“Mmmmm. I guess I can call Mako and ask him about her.”

“Do that. You know he’ll be honest with you about her.” Korra ran her fingers through Asami’s hair.

“Yeah, I know.” 

“Come on. I know you've got to get this done but you can spare a little time for dinner. I’ve got an arctic hen roasting in the oven.”

“You do?”

“I’m an all-purpose Avatar.”

“Lucky me.”

“Lucky you.” Korra wrapped her arms around her and laid her cheek on the top of Asami’s head.


	35. A Zoological Expedition: A Trip To See The Badgermoles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set directly after the family returns to Republic City from Bolin and Opal's wedding.
> 
> The promised trip to Republic City Zoo for Prince Sozui is taken. 
> 
> For the Anon on Tumblr that requested it!

"Okay, Zhi, I want you next to me and then San and Naoki can sit next to the window. Wu, you sit in the back with the little prince and Rohan and the three of you can take Bu and the baby." Qi nodded towards Wu. "Be a bit of a squeeze but we should make it there in one piece."

"I want to sit in the back!"

"It ain't up for debate, Butterfly. You park it in the front seat like I told you."

Naoki scowled furiously. Qi ignored her. "And there'll be no bendin' in my car, you follow me?" This last was directed towards Sozui, who was fiddling with the buttons on his brand new suit jacket.

"Isn't it Prince Wu's car?" Sozui asked, stopping his fiddling for a moment to stare at Qi.

"Darling, not in the slightest. This is Qi's car, and in Qi's car we all do as Qi says." Wu caught Rohan's eye. "Why don't I sit in the middle so you boys can see out the windows. I can hold Meili if you wouldn't mind holding Bu."

Rohan smiled down at Bu and put his hand down for him to hold. "Sure thing."

Qi directed them all until they were sitting according to Qi's specifications. "Okay. No bendin', all arms and legs stay in the car-"

"Does that mean hands and feet too?"

"This is why you're sittin' next to me, Zhi. And don't be kickin' the back of my seat when I'm drivin', okay Bu?"

"Okay, Qi!" That earned Bu a smile and a wink. 

"All right, let's roll." Qi got in and started the Satomobile up. The car pulled smoothly into the road and headed east.

"You have a zoo in the Imperial City, do you not, Sozui?" Wu shifted Meili slightly on his lap.

"Yes, a small one. Last year a komodo rhino got really angry and trampled one of the zookeepers!"

Naoki's head popped over the back of her seat. "Really?"

Sozui nodded enthusiastically. "It bit his arm off!" Naoki's eyes widened.

"It bit someone's arm off?" Bu's lower lip trembled. "Uncle Wu, will the komodo rhinos try to bite our arms off at our zoo?"

"My darling! Certainly not! I am certain Prince Sozui is simply having us on for a little joke. Isn't that right, Sozui?" Wu turned a glare Sozui's way.

"Um...yeah. Ha! Ha ha! Just a little joke!" Sozui furtively looked at Naoki and made a gnashing movement with his teeth. Naoki looked delighted.

"Komodo rhinos are very aggressive, especially the females. It says so in my encyclopedia," said Zhi. "It says that the females are especially angry when they have young to protect and also when they are in their breeding season, but I don't know what that means. What does that mean, Qi?"

"It means when the lady rhinos want to have baby rhinos," Qi said.

"Oh," said Zhi.

"Qi means when they want to have rhino sex," added Naoki, helpfully.

"I beg your _pardon_ , young lady!" said her father, eyebrows raised to the sky. 

"Ima at school says that when her owlcat wants to have sex she makes a terrible noise and tries to get out of the house."

"Naoki Hou-Ting! I _never_! I will thank you to cease and desist with this conversation _immediately_!"

"I'm just _saying_ ," muttered Naoki. Poor Rohan sat in the backseat staring out the window, his face red to the ears.

"Zip it," said Qi, in a tone that ensured instant silence. They drove on in silence for a few minutes.

"Uncle Wu?"

"Yes, San?"

"Are you going to sing to the badgermoles?"

"Well, I usually do, they get grumpy if I don't. Why do you ask?"

"Can I sing with you?"

Wu beamed. "Certainly you may, darling. I'm sure they would love it. If we ask nicely maybe they'll do a little earthbending for you."

Sozui frowned. "How can you ask them? They don't speak."

"Papa can communicate with them! They do what he asks." Zhi turned around to peer over the front seat. "You'll see!"

"It's something that is carried down through the Hou-Ting bloodline, or so legend has it. I can't say as to whether or not any of the rest my family could do it. There were no badgermoles in the Palace at Ba Sing Se."

Sozui nodded thoughtfully. "My great-grandfather had a dragon. Well. Not _had_  him. You don't really own dragons. They were friends."

"What did he do when your great-grandfather died?" Rohan looked curious.

Sozui shrugged. "He just left. Grandmama says he probably went back to where he was born, where the other dragons live. With the sun warriors." He sighed. "I wish he would have stayed. I would have liked to have been his friend."

Wu nodded. "Yes, Mako and I met Druk when we visited Firelord Zuko on Ember Island. Although Mako had met him some years before. He was a very polite dragon, or at least he was to me."

Qi pulled into the zoo's parking lot, setting the brake. "All right, now nobody's runnin' off. We're stickin' together. You hear me, Zhi?"

"Yes, Qi."

"That means you too," and that got a severe look sent Sozui's way. "That's all I need, explainin' to the Firelord I lost her grandson."

Sozui blinked and looked surprised. "Do I have to do what she says outside of the car?" he whispered to Naoki. 

"Yes you do, and Qi's not a she, Qi's a Qi." Naoki whispered back, scowling. "It's rude to call Qi a she."

Sozui looked taken aback. "I wasn't trying to be rude."

"Better _not_ ," said Naoki, with her fists on her hips. "Not to our Qi."

Qi swung Meili up on Qi's hip. "Okay, let's just go and see the badgermoles first. Then we can go through the rest of the zoo. They'll just fuss and make a big racket if you don't go see them first thing." This was directed to Wu.

"I heartily agree. Bu, my darling, would you hold my hand?"

"Okay, Uncle Wu!"

Through the zoo they trooped, past the building that hosted the artificial caves with the wolfbats, past the armadillo bears, up to the very large enclosure that housed the two badgermoles. They were already waiting for Wu, crowding each other in order to get closer to him.

"Prince Wu!" said the zookeeper with a smile. "They knew you were coming."

"Good day to you, Ji-Kyu. And my darlings! My darlings, hello! Look, I've brought the family to see you. Now Ling Ling, don't crowd into Yang Yang like that, you know it's not necessary. Let me introduce you to Prince Sozui of the Fire Nation. Say hello!"

Both badgermoles bowed politely Sozui's way. Sozui's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. 

"I believe you know Rohan, Tenzin's youngest? Ah, good."

Meili squirmed down from Qi's arms and stood next to her father. "Hello, hello," she chirruped, and the badgermoles bowed to her as well.

"I thought they were blind," said Sozui.

"They are, but they compensate for it with extremely good smelling and hearing," answered Zhi, stepping right up to the enclosure.  "Hi Ling Ling! Hi Yang Yang! It's me, Zhi!" Yang Yang's tongue licked Zhi up the side of his head, which got a giggle out of him. "We're here with our cousins San and Bu. And Qi is here, too."

Wu broke into a song, something nonsensical about Bolin and Opal's wedding, with San happily adding his own verses, much to Wu's obvious delight. The badgermoles started to sway in time to the music, turning gracefully from side to side, shuffling their enormous claws backwards and forwards. Meili laughed and clapped her hands in time while Bu danced right along with them.

Sozui was staring at Wu. "Your father's a terrible singer," he said to Naoki, and then let out a yelp as she punched him in the chest. "Ow! Ow! What was that for?"

"You're the rudest boy _ever_! Don't you call my Papa a terrible singer! We can say that, but not you! He's not _your_ Papa!" She stalked off to stand next to Rohan, tossing her long braids, tied with yellow bows, over her shoulders. 

"But..." Sozui looked crushed. He jumped a little when Qi put a hand to his shoulder.

"Her temper's like lightnin'. It hits fast and then disappears again. Don't take it too hard." Qi squeezed Sozui's shoulder and then let Qi's hand drop.

"I wasn't trying to be rude. No one ever says I'm rude at home." Sozui looked unhappy.

"Reckon that's because you're a prince and they feel like they can't. The Butterfly, she says what she thinks. Like her father, that way. Her other father. Best get used to it."

"I don't think she likes me." Sozui crossed his arms and pouted, kicking at the ground.

"She didn't like you, she wouldn't bother talkin' to you, you can take my word on that. Now go on, go and say sorry to her for sayin' her Papa can't sing. We all know he can't, but we don't say it, 'cause it hurts his feelins, even if he tries not to let it show." Qi looked down at the prince. "You might keep your eyes on him while you're here. He don't make a fuss of it, but he knows how a prince acts. He knows how to be kind while keepin' his authority. You could learn somethin' from him."

Sozui stood there for a few moments before walking up to Naoki. "I'm...I'm sorry for saying that about your father."

Naoki bestowed him with her best smile. "Okay. Come on, you want to pet them? They really like it if you scratch their snouts. The zoo doesn't let regular people do it, but the badgermoles get mad if they don't get to snuffle all over Papa. They really love him." She grabbed Sozui with one hand and Rohan with the other, tugging them along with her.

Wu turned to look at Qi as Zhi and San belted out a verse together, giggling and singing. He raised one eyebrow and tilted his head towards the enclosure, smiling. Qi returned the smile and walked over to stand next to him, adding Qi's soft voice to the chorus, while Wu tucked Qi's arm in his.


	36. An Altruistic Assistance: Boy Can That Boy Foxtrot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A retelling of the incident Mako writes to Wu about in his letter at the end of [Dear Diary or: How I Had a Second Coronation and a Dalliance with a Detective.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3350999/chapters/7427354)
> 
> Written for FreiheitZeto, who asked so nicely if I could write about Mako seeing something other than Wu's bratty, spoiled attitude while getting a glimpse of the true Wu underneath. I hope it suits!

It was late by the time they left the nightclub; late like it always was, Wu always hated to leave anywhere if he thought anything else exciting might possibly happen. The evening had already been exciting enough; at one point Mako had gotten half of Wu's Si Wong Sling down the front of his jacket when some asshole twice Wu's size had slammed into him, knocking him right back into Mako. He was fairly sure the fucker had done it on purpose, too, not that he was going to start a fight in the middle of the dance floor. He'd marked him, though, and would keep an eye out for him going forward. Next time he came within three feet of Wu Mako was going to have a few words with him. Words that started and ended with the gentleman in question going ass over heels onto the sidewalk outside the club.

Wu had laughed it off, like he always did, but there had been genuine fear in his eyes and he'd clutched on to Mako a little too long, a little too desperately before shaking himself free and making some joke about wanting to refresh his drink anyhow.

Mako sighed as he waited for their car to come around. He smelled like a combination of sticky-sweet drink and stale cigarette smoke and he welcomed the fresh air outside the club, despite the bite. Autumn was well underway; the nights were getting colder and there was frost on the ground in the mornings. All he wanted was a hot shower and his bed. He hated the nights when Wu wanted to go out. The club was always too crowded; too many people packed in for Mako to be able to really do his job properly, for one thing - note the fucker slamming into Wu - and all of the noise always gave him a headache. That was another thing that drove him crazy about this job. Wu was so damn social, he loved lots of noise and people and going out every night of the week. Mako preferred to sit at home with a book. Well, never mind. He had two days off in a row coming up next week. He planned on going back to his flat and doing absolutely nothing. In silence. In total non-chattering Wu silence.

Wu was chattering now, something about the band. Mako grunted. It was easier that way, a few little grunts and Wu took that as actual conversation instead of a monologue. Damn but it was cold, and there was some girl sitting on the sidewalk close to them, crying her eyes out. Mako shut his own eyes for a second, massaging his temples. He'd need some of that willow bark powder when they got back to the hotel if he didn't want to spend the entire next day with his skull pounding away at him.

"Why the waterworks, Gumdrop?" 

Mako opened his eyes to see Wu sitting on the curb next to the girl, passing over a handkerchief. "What rube would make such a pretty doll like you cry like that?"

The girl started to sob even harder, her face a blotchy mess of melted makeup. Mako couldn't quite make out what she was saying - something about her boyfriend? But Wu was nodding sympathetically, slipping out of his suit jacket and putting it around her shoulders. Damn it! What was he thinking? It was too cold outside to be without an overcoat, no less his suit jacket. Wu put his arm around her and Mako tensed up; was he honestly trying to make a move on this girl?

He wasn't, though. Even Mako could see it. Wu was speaking quietly to her, reaching over to gently wipe away the dark streaks under her eyes. He was nodding sympathetically as she told him about her man showing up with some other girl, taking her hands in his and actually listening for once, instead of doing all the talking. 

"Why Gumdrop! Look what I found underneath all that runny mascara! A pair of breathtaking brown eyes!"

The girl gave him a watery smile and a bit of a giggle.

"Wait, was that a smile you just gave me? Astonishing! What's your name?"

The girl told him, and Wu stood up, gently raising her up with his hands, holding his jacket and helping her slip her arms into it.

"Can't have you getting cold now, can we? Hey! There's that astonishing smile again!"

Wu continued to smile and talk to her. Not in that weird and forcefully awkward way which was, Mako had come to realize, the way Wu tried to flirt with women. No, this was genuine. He wasn't trying to flirt with her. He was trying to get her to smile. She'd already stopped crying. Suddenly Wu put his arm around her and expertly twirled her and the girl actually laughed. Wu laughed as well and then spun her right into the beginning moves of a foxtrot, taking her gracefully up the middle of the street while she laughed again, her face changing entirely. Mako watched them dance up and down. Wu was, quite frankly, an amazing dancer. He'd told Mako once that he'd had a dancing master as a child growing up in the Palace; apparently that sort of thing was expected from a royal prince. Mako wasn't a bad dancer, when it came to that - he could keep up with the steps without a problem and he could move pretty well - but Wu was in his element when he danced, he made it look as easy and graceful as breathing. Mako was a little envious of it, truth be told.

Their car finally made its way around the corner and Mako pulled himself away from the wall. Wu had seen it as well and had danced the girl over to it, opening the door for her with a flourish. Mako assumed they were going to give her a ride home; Wu confirmed this. 

"Mako, this is Gyuri. Gyuri, this intimidating looking fellow is my bodyguard, Mako. Don't mind him if he glares at you. That's just his way of being friendly. Mako, we are giving Gyuri a ride home. Where do you live, darling?"

The girl told him and Wu relayed it to their driver. He sat on the seat next to her, his hands in hers, while Mako sat across from them. He tried very hard not to glare.

Wu kept talking to her, telling her that she was lovely, that he couldn't imagine why any boy would want to throw her over for any other girl. 

"But even if he does, why you have to keep your chin up. Never let them see you cry! You put on your prettiest dress and you walk into that club like you own it. You look at yourself in the mirror and you say to yourself, 'Gyuri, you are a strong woman. You are worth everyone's interest and you don't need any man who would treat you like that. You deserve the best.' Because you do! You deserve the very best! That fool of a boy doesn't deserve your tears, you hear me!"

The girl nodded emphatically. "I do deserve better!"

"Yes you do, my darling! After all, I'm a prince and I say so!"

Wu kept up with this the entire way back to the block of flats where the girl lived. As the car pulled up he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. "Now I expect to see you there again! And we'll foxtrot again! You're a marvelous dancer, you know." Wu beamed at her as he helped her out of the car.

"You stay here in the car," Mako said. "I'll walk her up to her door."

Wu kissed her gently on both cheeks. "Sleep tight and dream beautiful dreams, Gyuri."

Mako walked her up to the door and waited while she put her key into the lock. She turned to him, her eyes luminous under the bleak light from the street lamp. "He's wonderful. He didn't need to be so kind to me. I'm just a nobody and he's a prince."

Mako stood there for a moment. It was true. Wu hadn't needed to be so kind to this girl. There was nothing in it for him. It wasn't the first time Mako had seen him do it, either. Wu, for all of his imperious royal bearing, genuinely seemed to like people, and he talked to anyone and everyone. He wasn't a snob that way, Mako had to give him that. "Yeah. Well, he's a good guy." He realized that he meant it. Wu was a pompous ass, no mistake. Clueless, most of the time. Self-centered, absolutely. He drove Mako straight up the fucking wall. He was, however, also - just sometimes - a very decent kid.

"He likes you, you know that, right?"

Mako blinked and the girl smiled.

"He's been doing nothing but look at you for approval the whole time. You really don't see it?"

Mako shifted uncomfortably. The girl looked at him seriously.

"Don't you dare break his heart. Or else I'll come after _you_."

Mako didn't know what to say to that, so he said nothing. The girl opened the door and stepped inside the building, letting the door close behind her. She didn't look back.

Mako walked back and got into the car. "She took your jacket with her," he said.

Wu's eyes were closed. He waved a hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter. I have plenty more where that came from."

The car pulled away and they sat for a time in silence. Mako cleared his throat. "That was a nice thing you did."

Wu opened his eyes and smiled.


	37. A Deliberate Sacrifice: Mako Takes On The Spirit Vine Core

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako takes out the spirit vine core in the Colossus.

"Let's back it up, okay?" Bolin looked at Mako as if he were crazy and he threw his hands out. "I said that will make the vines _explode_."

Mako didn't have time for this. "Exactly. This is our only way of shutting this thing down. I can handle it." He was already thinking about where he'd send his first strike.

Bolin grabbed at his shoulder. "No! You can't! This isn't the time to prove how awesome you are. I already know how awesome you are...you're awesome."

"I don't have time to argue! I'm doing this, so get out of here!" 

Bolin looked desperate but Mako couldn't think about it. Not right now. Not when he needed to do this. "Okay, but for the record, I do not approve. Just get out as soon as you can. Promise?" 

Mako grabbed at his hand and hung on to it. "Promise." He pulled Bolin into an embrace. Bolin's sheer bulk surprised him slightly, as it always did. He'd been such a skinny kid. Mako held him close for just a moment and breathed him in. His baby brother. The person he loved more than anyone else in this world.

"I love you," Bolin said into his ear, his voice tight and ragged. Mako's heart ached and he started to lose his nerve before he slammed the feeling away. Smashed it away the way he'd always been able to do. Survival meant no weaknesses and Mako had learned the hard way how letting himself fall into emotion was a weakness he couldn't afford. 

Mako pulled away from him while he could still pull away, but Bolin wouldn't let go. "I love you, too. Now go!" He turned away from his brother before he changed his mind. He knew Bolin would take the engineers and go without having to watch him. Bolin had always been good about doing what he was told.

The spirit vine core was snarling purple ferocity and Mako took a single deep breath. He needed to do this. He had to. He had to because he could. Because he could and because he would. Because he understood, better than anyone else he knew, what it meant to sacrifice yourself for others. Hadn't he been doing it for most of his life?

It's not that he wouldn't miss them all. This newly-resurrected friendship with Korra, so much stronger than their mismatched romance had ever been. He'd never had a friend before Korra showed up; he wasn't Bolin, everyone's buddy, well-liked and appreciated. He knew he was stiff and humorless, although Spirits knew he'd tried so hard to be someone he wasn't. Someone dashing; someone suave, someone charming, someone that women would sigh over and men would admire. It wasn't really him, though. When push came to shove he'd reverted back to his usual anxious and pedantic ways with Korra and she'd responded with petulance and irritation. But she'd come back from her self-imposed exile - finally - and he had hoped so much they could build a real friendship together, something that was mutual and supportive and lasting. The idea that he'd never be able to stand at her side in the future when she needed him almost made him falter. He knew she'd understand why he was doing this, though. Of anyone, Korra would understand. She wouldn't be happy - he knew her well enough to know that, it wasn't an ego thing for him - but she'd understand, at least.

Would Asami understand? He wasn't sure. He and Asami had drifted apart somewhat in the past three years and he was sorry for it. He and Asami were never going to work as a couple, but they'd gotten past that long ago. Not that Asami was one to hold a grudge anyhow. She was too honest and forthright for that. He'd apologized to her for the mess he'd made of things and she'd apologized for her part as well and things had finally been right between the two of them. Oh, he'd seen the way she'd been looking at Korra after she'd returned and you didn't need to be a detective to see where that was going. He was glad. Korra couldn't do any better than Asami and he should know. 

He couldn't go there with Bolin. If he did, he'd never make this happen. _Oh Bo,_ he thought. _Please be happy. Don't miss me too much. Marry your Opal and have kids and be happy. I'm keeping you safe, just like I promised Mama I would all those years ago. I've always kept you safe. You've always mattered more than me anyhow. I love you. I love you so much._

His arms started to move in the old familiar pattern, the electricity coursing through them deliberately as he forced his _chi_ to respond to his demands. He could feel the spirit vine core seething, writhing in defiance of the threat against it, all of the hair standing up on him. Oh Spirits, he wasn't going to get out of this, was he? This was it. This was all there was.

_Never mind. Never mind. Just do it, Mako. Just do it. Make it happen._

He couldn't keep his mind quiet, though, even as the lightning flew through him, sparks nearly blinding him. He though of Tenzin, the weight of the world on his shoulders. Quiet Jinora and the times the two of them had talked about books together. Kai's mischievous grin and how he ducked his head in pleasure when Mako would wrap an arm around him. The way Ikki threw her head back when she laughed. Meelo, trying so hard to hide his fear behind that brave facade and didn't he know all about that? The Chief - oh, the Chief, her warm hand on his shoulder, that quick nod she gave him when he pleased her. His grandmother, so frail and yet so strong. 

The sparkle in Wu's eyes, the way his mouth curved up into a smile when he was happy, dancing through their suite at the Four Elements, singing along to the radio in that horrible squawk he called a singing voice. He didn't even know where Wu was. Was he safe? Had Kuvira's forces found him? Was he lying dead in a heap of rubble somewhere? Those beautiful green eyes dull and lifeless? No. No. He couldn't. He couldn't. He had to do this. He had to focus.

The pain, when the spirit vine core arced its violet destruction up his hand and arm, was worse than anything he'd ever felt. The rational part of his mind - the part he never could turn off, no matter how hard he tried - noted that the smell assaulting his nostrils, the smell of cooking flesh, was coming from him. He was slammed back into the wall and it stunned him, but he held on to his _chi_ , held on to the lightning. He might be humorless. He might be uptight. He might be stiff and uncompromising. But by fuck, he would make the fire within obey him, the way he always had. The spirit vine core was actually howling; a shrieking whine of rage as it started coming apart. _Bring it on, you fucking thing_ , he screamed at it in his mind, racing for the hatchway. Would he make it out like he promised Bo?

When the blast hit his heart he didn't have time to feel anything, not even regret.

Darkness engulfed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this on what would have been my fourteenth wedding anniversary.
> 
> This one is for Kia, who didn't survive. Miss you, Baby.


	38. A Midnight Assignation: Qi Moves Into The Main House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qi decides to move from Qi's rooms above the garage into the main house.
> 
> This one is for both Jac and Qi's Endgame Anon.

Qi lay awake for a time in the new bed. 

Mind, Qi hadn't asked for a new bed. Qi hadn't asked for any of this. Not that it mattered. When Qi had first approached Wu and Mako about leaving the flat above the garage and moving into the house itself it had been with the idea that Qi's current furniture could just be moved over into one of the numerous spare rooms on the third floor. Wu wasn't having any of _that_ , however. He had immediately thrown himself into a fervor of remodeling and interior decorating; Qi was helplessly swept along in the joyful current of Wu's enthusiasm. "We can convert your old rooms into guest rooms," Wu had announced the day after Qi had nervously made the request, dragging Qi along to look at wallpaper samples. 

"I had to look at wallpaper today," Qi said to Mako later that night, and Mako had grimaced and silently poured Qi a finger of whiskey.

A month of noisy renovations across the landing from Wu's study and the library on the third floor turned the household topsy-turvy, not to mention frequently drove Qi and Mako into the park across the street for some peace and quiet and the occasional secretive cigarette. "You should have seen him when he first bought the place," said Mako, looking resigned. "Just let him have his way. It makes life easier."

Wu did have beautiful taste, of course. Outside of the bedrooms the house was done in creams and pale green; the exception was the kitchen, which was done in bright yellow, warm and inviting. All of the furniture was dark wood; a mix of stark modern lines and traditional ornate Earth Kingdom styling that managed to be effortlessly stylish. Comfortable, though. You could tell a family lived there, what with Meili's dolls convalescing in the sunroom and books scattered on nearly every surface. Qi had expected nothing different from the rooms Qi was being allotted. There were three rooms in what Wu laughingly called Qi's Suite; a bedroom, a bathroom and what Wu referred to as the sitting room, which was, insofar as Qi understood it, where Qi was supposed to entertain guests. Qi had tried to protest that it wasn't necessary and that a small bedroom would be fine; after Wu had haughtily answered that he wasn't going to have anyone living in servant's quarters, not in _his_ house, and stomped off in one of his snits Lin had shook her head at Qi and said, "What were you thinking?"

Qi kept Qi's mouth shut after that and stayed away from the third floor, leaving Wu to it.

Qi was, therefore, utterly undone when Wu finally opened the door and escorted Qi into Qi's own rooms.  They were, quite simply, astoundingly beautiful.

The rooms themselves had been done in cream and tones of pale peach and apricot along with buttery yellow and spring green. Plush ankle-deep rugs were scattered across the floors and Qi couldn't stop marveling at the softness of them. The furniture - including a new and much larger bed than the single bed Qi had always slept in - was all curves, swooping and gliding, built from a honey-colored wood that had been polished until it gleamed. The rooms were simultaneously opulent and spaciously delicate, full of air and light. Wu had taken all of Qi's embroidered tapestries from the rooms above the garage and had re-hung them around the suite. Qi's precious tea set - the one bought with the entirety of Qi's first paycheck, the chrysanthemum pattern that Qi had longed for for years before being able to even dream of buying it - was displayed on top of a table along with a vase of brightly colored flowers.

Qi _loved_ it.  

"I remembered how much you admired Chun's sitting room in Gaoling," Wu said, smiling, handing Qi a discreet handkerchief as Qi's eyes had filled up at the sight of it all. "You talked about it on the train the entire way back to Zaofu."

Mako had told the children very sternly that they were to leave Qi be unless they were invited; it was the same rule as with LoLo's rooms and Qi knew the kids would respect it. The whole family had made a trip up after dinner to take a tour of the new rooms, however. Even LoLo had managed the stairs all the way up to the third floor, climbing with more flexibility than Qi had ever seen him exhibit. His two months of healing with Kya had done him a world of good. The children had oohed and aahed (and Naoki had jumped on the bed once before Mako had hauled her down in disgrace) and even Lin had given her approval. After they had all left Qi wandered through the rooms, fingers whispering across the swirls of the chairs in the sitting room and along the elegant contours of the enormous claw-footed tub in the bathroom. It was perfect. Perfect and gorgeous and more than Qi could have ever hoped for.

Zhi had given Qi a butterfly, its wings iridescent splashes of gold and orange and blue, framed in gold. "I didn't kill it," he anxiously assured Qi. "It had already died when I found it. Lin helped me make the frame. It's a housewarming present. Papa says it's the proper thing to do." Qi knew it was one of Zhi's most beloved specimens and was incredibly touched that the boy had given it up. Qi immediately hung it above the tea set in a place of honor. 

It was too much. Too much. Qi had spent the past hour or so in bed, sniffling into Wu's sodden handkerchief, both deliriously happy and more than a little overwhelmed. Qi finally gave it up and swung out of bed to go and rummage up a book from the library. Qi belted on Qi's turquoise dressing gown and padded out quietly.

The light was shining from Wu's study, the door open just a crack. Qi moved soundlessly to peer inside. Wu was sitting at his desk, wrapped up in his own dressing gown, frowning down at some paperwork, pen in his hand.

"Can't sleep?" Qi said, and Wu gasped and jumped. "Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you none...no. I didn't mean to frighten you." 

"My gracious," said Wu, hand to his heart. "You did frighten me a little. Oh, I didn't wake you, did I? I tried to be quiet."

"No, I was still awake, you didn't make no... _any_ noise." Wu motioned and Qi came into the room, shutting the door very gently so as not to wake anyone on the floor below. "So, no getting to sleep tonight?" Qi knew that Wu sometimes suffered from insomnia. Mako worried about it. Well, Mako worried about most things, but Lin and LoLo worried about Wu's insomnia as well. As did Qi.

Wu waved it off. "Oh, you know how it is. I usually come up here so I won't disturb Mako, he's the one who has to work in the morning."

Qi merely grunted at that. Wu worked as well, even if it was at home. "You working on something? Or just trying to pass the time?" Qi made an effort to add the g's at the end of the words. Kya's healing had done real miracles with Qi's voice; it was still soft and always would be, but most of the hoarseness and grittiness had been eased away. Qi had been trying to modulate the accent Qi spoke with. Qi wasn't stupid; so long as what was coming out of Qi's mouth sounded like Qi had been born and raised in the red light district Qi would be forever marked with it, no matter how intelligent or accomplished Qi was. Qi had a good ear and was a natural mimic; improving Qi's accent wasn't as difficult as Qi thought it was going to be. No one in the family but Zhi had mentioned it; when Zhi said something Lin had taken him aside and admonished him gently and reminded him of his manners. Qi's goal was to sound like Mako; solid middle class Republic City, respectable and competent. 

What was emerging, however, was more influenced by Wu's crystal-clear royal enunciation than Qi realized.

"Ah, just scribbling down some notes about that fundraiser I'm hosting." Wu smiled. Qi knew better than that. Wu never just scribbled anything. Wu's parties were always meticulously planned. "I'm working on the seating chart."

"So what's important about a seating chart?" Qi came closer, peering down at the sketched out diagram of a long table with names written - and scratched out - on it. At Wu's look, Qi clarified. "I'm really asking. I'd like to know."

Wu blinked. "Ah. Well. It's not as easy as just sitting people down." He tapped at one of the names with a long, graceful finger. "Take Zheng Han, for example. He's rather a boor, I am deeply sorry to say. He generally manages to offend most people without even trying." Wu sighed. "But he's generous with his funds and his brother-in-law is the main editor of the Republic City Times, so I need to invite him." Wu's finger moved to the name next to Zheng Han. "I can sit him next to my friend Risa, however. Risa is lovely and a good conversationalist and she'll know exactly why I sat her next to him. She will most likely be offended by him - we're _all_ offended by him - but she'll never let it show. I can't sit her wife anywhere near him, however, because Hong's father and Zheng Han loathe each other, both publicly and privately. Instead I'll sit Hong over here next to Naruhiko. They both love pro-bending, the conversation should flow smoothly."

Qi frowned. "You don't want to sit Hong next to him."

Wu looked at Qi with surprise. "Why on earth not?"

"Her brother asked Naruhiko's niece to marry him and she turned him down flat. They ain't...they _haven't_ spoken about it publicly, but their driver says there's a lot of bad feeling there."

Wu's eyes widened. "Oh! Well, now there's a piece of gossip I had not heard! They really have kept that hush-hush, haven't they! Well thank you, Qi! You saved me some embarrassment." Wu tapped the pen against his lip, something he always did when he was thinking. "Well, where should I put Hong, then?" He sent Qi a look. "Do you have any ideas?"

Qi was quiet for a moment, thinking, before pointing. "What about switching Hong and the University Chancellor? She likes pro-bending, don't... _doesn't_...she?"

Wu beamed. "She does indeed and she'll even talk about it, which is saying something, believe me. Hong can sit next to Kimiko. I don't know that the conversation will be _scintillating_ , but at least it won't be acrimonious." Wu scratched out names and re-wrote in the new ones. "So the new rooms are to your liking?" The tone was casual, but Qi knew Wu well enough to know that the question wasn't. Wu kept his eyes on the seating chart.

"They're beautiful. More than I ever dreamed. More than I deserve, I reckon."

Wu reached over to squeeze Qi's hand. "You deserve the moon and stars, Qi." They were silent for a moment before Wu took his hand back and picked up his pen again. "Speaking of Kimiko, she is allergic to roses, so I can't use them for decoration. It's a pity, really, my color scheme for this is red and gold and red roses are always appropriate for this sort of gathering. I've got to come up with something else to dress up the table." 

Qi pulled one of the guest chairs behind the desk to sit next to Wu. "You going... _are you_ going to have candles?"

"Certainly. White tapers, I thought."

"Hmm. What if you did gold candles - shorter and fatter ones? And then used red and white camellias." Qi motioned with Qi's hands. "Use some of the camellias' green leaves to dress it up, make shorter and wider flower settings instead of tall ones with the roses and tapers?" Qi held out a hand for Wu's pen; when Wu handed it over Qi quickly made a rough sketch. "Something like this, mebbe? _Perhaps_?" Qi handed the pen back.

Wu's slow smile illuminated his face. "Qi. You are a wonder. A treasure! They'd be short enough that we could use a continuous line of them, a sort of table runner of flowers and candles. Oh, _perfect_. Perfect!" He frowned slightly. "Although camellias don't have any fragrance. Not that you want it to overpower the food or anything like that, but a subtle floral fragrance always helps people to relax, adds to the general good feeling of an evening."

"What about scented candles? I've bought some from the perfumery over on Chiming Breeze Street before. They are pretty nice. The perfume is real... _quite_...subtle." 

Wu stared at Qi until Qi's cheeks flushed just slightly pink. "Yes. That's an excellent idea. Thank you, Qi. I mean that quite sincerely. This is very helpful to me." Wu laughed a little. "Any interest Mako has in these sorts of things - and there is not much interest, believe me - always centers around dessert."

Qi smiled back. "Well, he's not much for this sort of thing."

"He's not, bless the lovely man." The pen tapped against Wu's lip again for a moment; Wu then opened one of the desk drawers and took out another pen, handing it to Qi. "Speaking of which, I haven't even started to tackle the idea of dinner. Crab is completely out; I've got two people with allergies. Other than that, I'm open to ideas."

"What else do you have planned besides dinner?"

"For post-dinner entertainment, you mean? I'm going to have Buniq - you know, the waterbending poet?" At Qi's nod Wu continued. "She's going to read aloud the poem she won first prize for in the city's poetry contest last year."

"So nothing too heavy for dinner, then. You don't want folks... _the guests_...falling asleep after dinner, right?"

Wu's laughter rang out before he clapped a hand across his mouth, looking guiltily at the door. His eyes danced. "So what do you suggest?"

Qi grinned back and shrugged. "Chicken always works. Arctic hen?" Qi tapped Buniq's name at the head of the table. "Since you've got a waterbender as your guest of honor. What about how LoLo does it, with the plum and pepper sauce?"

"Perfect!" Wu slid over a piece of paper and nodded at Qi. "Write it down, then."

Qi wrote. "I'm never going to write like you do, you know."

Wu snorted. "I should hope not. I'm sure most children have better things to do than practice their calligraphy for two hours a day. So. Arctic hen with plum and pepper sauce. What else?" Wu smiled. "I have to tell you, it is terribly convenient to have you right across the hall from me. I could get used to this."

Qi smiled back. "Me too."  They smiled at each other for a long moment before getting back into the important business of side dishes.


	39. A Hint of Trouble: Qi Buys New Clothes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qi buys a few new things to wear.

"But it doesn't feel right if Qi doesn't come," said Zhi, standing next to the gangplank to the airship, his little face crumpling. "Qi, won't you come?"

"Darling, Qi is entitled to take a holiday away from us every once in awhile. Besides, it's only going to be a week." Wu ran his hand gently down the back of Zhi's head.

"You'll be so busy having fun with all your Zaofu cousins you won't even notice I'm gone," Qi said with a little smile. "I go- I _have_ things I need to do here, little man. I'll come next time, okay? I promise, and you know I always keep my promises."

Qi kissed the children goodbye and stayed long enough to wave at them as the airship took off before returning to the car. Lin and LoLo had left the day before to visit LoLo's parents in the Imperial City (Lin had told Qi that the Firelord had guilted LoLo into it) and Mako would be working during the day, of course. It wasn't that Qi wouldn't miss everyone; it's just that sometimes a person needed time to themselves.

Before going back to the house Qi stopped off to pick up an order Qi'd placed in the upper ring of the Little Ba Sing Se Fashion mall. A few new shirts; a bespoke suit in a brown and fuchsia herringbone tweed that Qi had known was necessary from the first moment Qi had seen the swatch of fabric in the designer's book. A new pair of boots, too. Winter would be coming on very soon now and Qi had already given last year's boots to one of the kids that hung about the park across the street from the house. There were a few other things besides.

House. Qi had to smile. _House_ is what Wu called it, but it was a mansion, clear enough. A few years back a Ba Sing Se historian had written up a book about the history of the royal palace, including plenty of archival photographs and drawings of how it had looked before the Red Lotus had killed the Queen and the riots had torn it apart. Wu had written a forward to the book for her and she had, of course, given him a copy. Qi had spent hours looking through the book, marveling at the magnificence of it all. Qi still couldn't believe that Wu had grown up that way. It really did explain why a man who had grown up in a palace would consider this place just a _house_ , however. A house that took an entire staff of maids as well as a gardener to keep it maintained, mind. 

Wu, of course, took it for granted. LoLo had also grown up in and around a palace, and it had been Lin's childhood home, after all. Lin's mother, despite her unorthodox life, was still old Earth Kingdom nobility. Lin herself didn't know how to cook, no less clean properly. She once told Qi that she'd always sent her own clothes away to a laundry service. The children certainly weren't any different; Wu had some fairly conservative ideas about what royal children were expected to do and housework was definitely not one of those ideas.

Qi had always managed Qi's own rooms above the garage. However, the new rooms that Qi had moved into the month before were cleaned by the maid service. Qi wasn't sure how comfortable Qi was with that, but when Qi mentioned it to Mako he had just sighed. "Relationships are a give and take," Mako had told Qi, the two of them sitting in the pavilion in the backyard, enjoying the last warmth of the summer fading into fall. "Wu has never wanted me to work. He hates it. Oh, he'll never say it, but he does. I know he wishes I'd be a good society husband for him but we all know it's never going to fly. I suck at that kind of thing. So I work and I just accept the fact that I live in a house as big as half a fucking city block and that other people are scrubbing my toilets and shining my shoes. Sure I wish the kids knew how to do things for themselves. But on the other hand, why? Wu has a point. They're always going to be rich, why pretend otherwise?"

Qi didn't know where Qi stood. Wu had made it very clear he no longer considered Qi just a driver, even though Qi still drove Wu around. Qi couldn't imagine not doing that; by household decree Wu wasn't allowed to get behind the wheel, and if Qi couldn't take him then Mako or Lin filled in. (LoLo had never learned to drive and never seemed to care one way or the other. Qi often drove LoLo where he wanted to be, although since Lin had retired and had started leaving her own car in the garage with Mako and Qi's cars she ferried LoLo about as well.)

Qi wasn't a spouse; wasn't a sibling or a child. If Qi wasn't a driver, then what was Qi? _Who_ was Qi? 

Qi didn't know, and Qi wasn't the kind of person who settled easily with not knowing how things stood.

The house was eerily silent by the time Qi got home. Since it was only Qi and Mako at home for the next week Wu had told the maid service they'd only need to come by every three days; the house was empty. Qi wandered the first floor with all of the parcels from the design house, unconsciously listening for Meili's happy greeting, the way she always came running from wherever she was, ready to throw herself into whomever's arms were the closest for a hug and a kiss. Even the kitchen - inarguably the heart of the house - was hushed. No clattering of pots and pans, no LoLo's warm baritone singing along to the radio or Lin's acerbic comments. Qi had never been in the house alone before. It made the hair stand up on Qi's arms and the back of Qi's neck a little bit.

Qi climbed the stairs up to the third floor, going straight to the bedroom to carefully hang up all of Qi's purchases in the walk-in closet, gently smoothing out the few wrinkles. The new suit pleased Qi to no end. Well. Qi's entire closet pleased Qi to no end. All of Qi's suits were hung up according to season and color; the same with the shirts, the sweater vests, the shoes. Wu - understanding perfectly - had even made sure the closet had a proper space for Qi's hats.

Off to one side were Qi's uniforms. Dull things, gray with silver buttons, austere and drab. Oh, how Qi had loved those uniforms when Wu had first bought them! Qi's teenage self had marveled over them, staring into the mirror, hardly believing that the severely neat person with the clipped hair was the same Qi who had been so hungry the week prior that Qi'd been sleepless with the constant ache in Qi's belly. Those uniforms had meant everything to Qi; safety, security, even acceptance.

Now, though...they felt like they were holding Qi back. Trapping Qi into a life that was as subdued as they were. They were the old Qi, the Qi that lived alone, that faded into the background, that tried to keep where no one would notice Qi.

Qi might not know yet who Qi was, true. But Qi surely knew who Qi was _not_. With a sigh, Qi took off the uniform that Qi was wearing and stuffed it forcefully into the laundry hamper there in the closet. "I'm not wearin' you for the next week, so fuck off," Qi muttered, and went into the bathroom to draw a bath, taking up the book Qi was currently reading and putting plenty of bath oil in with the water. Wu loved his jasmine scent, but Qi was fond of a spicier blend, musky with a hint of vanilla.

Qi soaked long enough in the bath to wrinkle all over; afterwards Qi put on Qi's dressing gown and lounged on the bed, finishing up the book. It felt decadent to do it. But what did Qi need to get done? Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all.

Qi was on holiday.

It was later than Qi realized when Qi heard Mako calling up the stairs. "You up there? I stopped off at Chin's to get us some dinner."

"Yeah! Give me a minute, I'll be down." Qi quickly changed into trousers and a shirt, not bothering to comb back Qi's hair. It was only Mako, after all. Qi took the stairs down quickly to find Mako in the kitchen, his jacket slung over one chair, his tie thrown onto the table itself, sleeves already rolled up. Mako nodded a greeting, handing Qi a pair of chopsticks. They ate right out of the cartons, but not before Mako poured them both some whiskey. At Qi's raised eyebrow Mako shrugged.

"You're off duty, I'm off duty. Live a little for once."

Eating with Mako was comfortable. Neither one of them were chatterers; without Wu propping up the conversation they were mostly quiet. It was a relaxed kind of quiet, though. Qi had always liked that about Mako, even back in the days when Mako had intimidated Qi, made Qi feel small and young and helpless. Mako was a man who wasn't particularly good at small talk. Seeing as Qi was a person who wasn't all that fond of small talk, it worked out well for them.

Eventually, when they had finished dinner, they migrated into the living room, sitting on the couch and putting their feet up on the coffee table. Wu wouldn't approve, but Wu wasn't there. "This house is so quiet it's kind of freaking me out," Mako said, tipping some more whiskey into their glasses. "I keep expecting Zhi to come around the corner and start blabbing."

"I was thirteen," Qi blurted out, much to Qi's own surprise. Hmmm. Maybe three shots of whiskey were two shots too much.

"Say what now?"

"When you met me. Arrested me, I mean. I was thirteen. Just about fourteen."

Mako's eyebrows raised. "You told me you were sixteen. So...you're telling me you're twenty-one now, instead of twenty-four?"

Qi nodded. "Be- _I'll be_ twenty-two next month. I usually lied about my age back then. Seemed safer."

"I get that."

"Don't know why I never said otherwise. I guess I never thought it was all that important."

"So why are you telling me now?" Mako leaned back, narrowing his eyes to study Qi's face. Qi knew that look. It was the one Wu referred to as Mako's Detective Look.

Qi stared down at the coffee table, rolling the whiskey glass in a circle. "I don't know. Well. That's not true either. I guess it's because I'm trying to stop lying about things." Qi looked up quickly. "I was always in the habit, you know?"

Mako smiled a little at that. "I do know, actually." He laughed and drank down his whiskey. "Vaatu's left nut, an almost fourteen year old driving my husband around this city. I can't fucking believe it."

"Yeah," Qi said. "Sorry about that."

"Does Wu know?"

"No. I never said anything to him. Don-  _I_ don't think he guessed either. Pretty sure Lin figured out right quick I was younger than I said, though."

"Sounds like her." They were quiet for a time before Qi suddenly swallowed the rest of the whiskey in Qi's glass.

"I...well...yeah. You're a trustworthy man, right?" Qi shot a quick look at Mako, who nodded.

"I try to be."

"Because I...well. I want to..." Qi struggled a little to find the words. "You'd tell me if I was being a fool, right? You wouldn't just not tell me? You'd let me know?"

Mako nodded again. "I'd be honest with you, if that's what you're asking."

Qi sat there for a minute, and then poured another shot of whiskey, draining it in one gulp, trying not to cough at the unfamiliar burn. "You promise me? You'll tell me if I'm makin' a fool of myself?"

"I give you my word." Mako was staring. "You want to tell me what this is all about?"

Qi surged up. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Just...stay there, okay? I'll be back." Qi went quickly out of the room before Qi could think better of it, dashing up the two flights of stairs and into Qi's closet. Fingers shaking just a little, Qi took off the trousers and the shirt and hung them neatly up before pulling out the other thing Qi had brought home from the design house and putting it on.

Qi stared into the mirror. The jumpsuit was the absolute latest in fashion; white satin and cut on the bias, the trousers full and flowing nearly to the floor, the neckline cut into a slight V. The matching bolero jacket had bell sleeves embroidered at the bottom in a diamond pattern with gold thread. Qi's knife sheaths would fit underneath without a problem, something that Qi had made sure of when the designer had first sketched the idea. Qi hadn't yet found shoes to match that Qi felt comfortable in; the designer suggested a pair of white boots but Qi wasn't sure. Nothing with a heel and nothing that would easily slide off Qi's foot; Qi needed to be able to move at a moment's notice.

Qi's hair was a soft cap on Qi's head; waving just slightly at the ends, far lighter in color than when Qi combed it back with pomade. Qi fussed at it a bit before taking a deep breath. If Qi did not do this now, Qi would most likely never find the courage to do it at all. Barefoot, Qi headed back down the stairs, the trousers rippling and flowing about Qi's ankles. Qi had never worn satin next to the skin like this; it whispered with a seductive slithering sound, making Qi's bare nipples harden.

"There you..." Mako's voice trailed off as Qi came back into the room. Mako froze, staring.

Qi swallowed. "I had it made. It's...it's not what I usually wear. Obviously. I still ain-  _I'm still not_ sure about it. But you said you'd be honest, so..." Qi gestured down. "Do I look like a fool?" Qi's hands fisted up and Qi had to force Qi's knees to stop trembling. Mako still said nothing. "You can tell me. If I look stupid, just tell me. I don't want to go out in the world to be no laughin'stock for nobody." 

Mako stood up and walked in a slow circle around Qi. He came back around to face Qi, still saying nothing.

"You ain't sayin' nothin'. I look the fool, don't I?" Qi started to back up, but Mako reached out a quick hand and grabbed Qi's wrist.

"Give me a minute," Mako said. He didn't let go of Qi's wrist. "I've never seen you wear anything like this."

Qi bit down on Qi's lip. "I never have." Qi shrugged self-consciously. "I always liked these kinds of clothes but I thought I'd look real stupid."

"It's amazing," Mako said, gesturing at the bolero. "You know I'm not good with fashion like Wu is, but it's a knockout. _You're_ a knockout. You look...really good, Qi. Really good."

"I don't want nobody to laugh at me," Qi said, and Qi angrily wiped at the tears gathering in Qi's eyes. "Mebbe I act like I don't care none, but I do."

Mako stepped back, finally letting go of Qi's wrist. "Qi, I have to be honest with you. I don't think anyone would laugh at you in that. You...don't get me wrong, you always look good. You always look sharp in all of your suits. You know how Wu feels about them, and like I said, I'm no good with fashion, but you always look nice. But this..." Mako laughed a little. "I'm not sure that _nice_ is the word I would use."

"What word would you use, then?" Qi felt like Qi's body was on fire. How much whiskey had Qi had? Too much. Qi's head was buzzing. The air changed, somehow; Qi felt like Qi wasn't getting enough air. Qi's eyes darted towards the stairs and Qi's hand crept up to Qi's throat. What had Kya said? Opening up the throat chakra? Speaking the truth? Qi wasn't sure if Qi was ready for this truth or not.

Mako's hand moved to slide down the satin over Qi's hip. He sucked in a breath. "I think right now the word I would use is _trouble_ ," he said. "That outfit is trouble. And fuck knows I've done this kind of trouble before." He took his hand back and stepped backwards. "Let's just...how about you save that to show Wu, okay? Get his opinion. I can't..." He took another step backwards. "I'm just going to head off to bed, okay? I'll catch you in the morning." He grabbed the whiskey bottle on his way out of the room, not looking back.

Qi stood there for a long moment, hands crossed to clutch at Qi's arms, throat tightening up painfully. "No more lies," Qi whispered before spinning around, trousers flaring, to run up the stairs, past the closed bedroom door on the second floor landing, up and into Qi's own rooms, to land on Qi's bed, the loose fabric of the trousers billowing before resting on Qi's coverlet. Qi lay on Qi's back, staring up at the ceiling, head whirling.

"Trouble," Qi said experimentally, listening to the sound of the word disturb the silence of the house. "Trouble."

Qi's eyes closed. " _Trouble_ ," Qi breathed out, fingers caressing the satin across Qi's chest. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Qi's jumpsuit was inspired by a jumpsuit worn by actress Anna May Wong.
> 
>  


	40. An Unsuitable Exchange: Dinner With The Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dinner conversation in Wu and Mako's home goes decidedly south.

"By the way," Lin said as she dished herself up some noodles, "I'll pick Naoki up from school tomorrow, Qi."

Qi glanced over from across the large table in the kitchen. "Fine with me."

"How come?" Naoki asked, perking up at her end of the table.

"Well, I thought you and I could do a little shopping. Girl thing."

"I'm a girl," Meili piped up.

"What kind of girl shopping?" Naoki asked, putting down her chopsticks.

"I was thinking I'd take you over to the Little Ba Sing Se fashion mall, the two of us could look at some brassieres together." Lin raised an eyebrow Naoki's way. "It's getting to be about that time for you."

Mako's hand froze halfway up to his mouth, chopsticks dangling midair.

"Oh, Asami said she'd be happy to take her when it was time," Wu said.

Lin turned her head slowly to stare at Wu. "Are you saying that I need Asami Sato to do it for me? You think I don't know how to shop for a bra for an eleven year old girl?"

"Gracious me, not at all," Wu said, quickly pouring more wine into his glass. "Forget I said a word."

"Really, Lin?" Naoki's eyes lit up. "I can really get one?"

"Well, you don't have all that much yet, but it's not a bad idea to go there, take a look, see what there is to see." Lin neatly swiped the sauce out of LoLo's hand.

"Can I have a red one?"

"We'll see."

"Well, that's not fair! I want a trip to the brassiere store!" Zhi looked indignant.

"Dork! You don't wear a bra!" Naoki stabbed at him scornfully with a chopstick. "But Fishy can come if she wants to, right Lin?" She smiled over at Meili.

"If she wants to come, she's welcome." Lin nodded down at Meili, sitting next to her.

"Okay," Meili said. "Girl shopping."

"Well, can only girls go to that shop? Is it a rule?" Zhi was scowling. "Don't boys ever go to that shop?"

"If men want to buy fancy lingerie for their wives or girlfriends, sure," LoLo said. "Generally speaking, men don't usually wear brassieres. However," he added quickly, as Zhi's mouth opened, cutting him off, "There's no rule. Men can buy brassieres for whatever reason they'd like."

"Hmmm." Zhi thought a moment. "Well, have _you_ ever bought a brassiere, LoLo?"

"For myself? No. For a lady?" LoLo winked at Lin. "It's been known to happen."

"How come?" Zhi wanted to know.

"Well, darling, some people find lingerie very attractive," Wu answered. "Be it brassieres or any other kind of underthings."

Mako made a very distressed noise. 

"Oh." Zhi thought about this as well. "Well, do men like ladies' bosoms? Without brassieres, I mean?"

"I suppose it depends on the man," answered Wu. 

"Or the lady," Naoki said, helping herself to some fish. "Yumi likes bosoms, I bet. I bet she likes them a _lot._ "

"Spirits but I love eating here," said Wei with a grin. "Why a man would eat alone in his own flat I have no idea." He dug into his noodles with relish.

"Do you like bosoms, Uncle Wei?" Zhi asked.

"You know, I've got to go with a no on that one. They've never done much for me."

"But not Uncle Wing, though, right? He _must_ like bosoms. Auntie Nuo has enormous ones." Zhi demonstrated with his hands held out in front of his chest.

Qi's 's hand went up to Qi's mouth and Qi's shoulders started to shake.

"Nuo's tits are half the reason he married her," Wei started with a grin, but stopped when a quick elbow from Qi slammed into his midsection.

"Tits?" Meili asked, looking around the table.

"Darling, that is a slang term for a woman's breasts and it is vulgar and I do _not_ appreciate it at my dinner table," said Wu with a quelling look sent Wei's way.

"Sorry, kids. Aunt Lin. That's not a word I should have used." Wei actually looked abashed for once.  "Won't happen again."

"What about you, LoLo? Do you like big bosoms?" Zhi was undeterred.

"Well, honey, it's not an endgame for me. I appreciate lots of things about ladies, and that's just one of the things. It's not a dealbreaker for me one way or the other, though."

"Lin has bigger bosoms than Granny Su," Meili added.

"Su always was flat as a board. Took after our mother that way." Lin continued to eat.

"What about you, Papa?"

"Oh Zhi, darling, I really never did concern myself all that much with women's endowments. I can certainly appreciate the general aesthetic, of course."

"What about you, Daddy?"

Mako sucked in a large breath of air and frowned. "I'm not...can we change the subject?" 

"Well, Daddy dated both Asami and Korra, and they have totally different kinds so I guess he just likes bosoms no matter what." Naoki shrugged. "I hope mine aren't as big as Korra's. She told me they get in the way sometimes when she's bending." Naoki made a face. "I would hate that."

Mako stared at his plate and refused to make eye contact with anyone. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath.

"But what do they feel like? That's what I want to know. Are they squishy?" Zhi looked around the table. "LoLo?"

"Some are, some aren't. Not a pair that are alike, that's the truth of it." LoLo winked at Lin, who snorted back at him.

"Hmmm." Zhi frowned in thought. "Well, what about the difference between Korra and Asami's bosoms, Daddy? Were Korra's squishier?"

Qi made a muffled noise and conveniently dropped a napkin under the table, diving quickly to fetch it. A noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter floated up. Wei had a sudden coughing fit.

"I am not talking about this," Mako's voice was strained and he sent a glare around the table. 

"Zhi, I know you are curious. However, it is not considered polite at _all_ to discuss women's bosoms like this." Wu was fighting back a smile.

"Oh," Zhi said. "Well, why not?"

"Because it isn't!" Mako shouted.

"Daddy, _because_ isn't a good reason." Zhi bit his lip. "Well, can I feel _your_ bosoms, Lin?" Zhi looked hopeful. Qi's head, which had been making its way back up from under the table, disappeared again.

"No." Her look warned him to drop it.

Zhi sighed. "Well, I guess I can ask Auntie Nuo the next time I see her. Or, hey! Maybe I can ask Auntie Opal!"

"Yeah, I wouldn't ask Opal. Just a little hint from me to you," Wei said, trying very hard to keep a straight face. 

Zhi threw his hands up into the air, a movement very reminiscent of Mako at his most exasperated. "Is it too much for me to just have one bosom to feel?" He turned to his sister. "Can I feel yours when they come in, then?"

Naoki rolled her eyes. "Like I want your little grubby hands on my bosoms."

"My hands are _not_ grubby! I washed them!"

"Yaozhi, that is quite enough. I do not want to hear that you are importuning women in order to satisfy your curiosity about their bodies. It is neither acceptable nor respectful in polite society. Do I make myself entirely clear?" Wu gave Zhi a very stern look. 

"Well, _fine_ then, Papa. I won't _importune_." Zhi slumped down in his chair before suddenly sitting up straight. "Well, what if I pay them? I have my pocket money!"

An explosion of laughter came from under the table, and LoLo gave up, putting his head into his hands and roaring with laughter, Wei joining in. Lin smacked at LoLo's arm ineffectually.

"Pull it together, Lozan!"

"Why is that funny? I wasn't trying to be funny!" Zhi was insulted. "Why does everyone always laugh at me when I am not trying to be funny!"

"You started it," LoLo said through his laughter. He drained half of his wine glass and attempted to compose himself.

"Zhi, my darling...you cannot offer to pay women to feel their breasts!" Wu put on his most serious face. "We will discuss why it is inappropriate later, all right? But for now perhaps we could discuss something else. And Qi can come out from beneath the table. If Qi would not _mind_."

Qi came up from under the table, face slightly flushed. "I'm sorry. I dropped my napkin."

Wei snorted at this and Qi immediately put the rogue napkin up to Qi's face. A distinct chortle was heard from behind the napkin, which set Wei off again. LoLo tried his very best not to start laughing again.

He failed.

Lin sighed very loudly. 

" _Honestly_ ," said Wu, and he shot a look of disgust down the table before pouring Mako another glass of wine.  "Oh, Mako. Don't look like that. You knew it was coming eventually."

Mako was near to tears. "She's just a baby still." He looked over at Naoki, who was trying to pull the napkin away from Qi's face, giggling madly. "She's only eleven. She's too young for all of this."

Lin reached over Meili's head to put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "That's how it goes for girls. She's got a good head on her shoulders, Mako. She'll be okay. She's got a whole family of people looking out for her." She looked over to where Qi had both Naoki and Zhi on Qi's lap, tickling them mercilessly while they giggled and Wei dove in with his fingers as well.

Meili hugged her father around his bicep. "I'm still little, Daddy." Mako scooped her up and kissed her before wiping at his eyes.

"I need to get over myself. I just can't help but remember how I found her, wrapped up in that blanket. She was crying her eyes out but she stopped when I picked her up and held her. It goes too fast. How can it go this fast?"

Lin gave a little smile. "Wait until you're my age. Time starts to fly." She squeezed his shoulder.

"Okay now, my dinner's getting cold," LoLo said, finally managing to get a hold of himself again. "Everyone back in their seats. Yes, that means you too, Butterfly. No more bosom talk, mind. Wei, what's this I hear about the Ba Sing Se Badgermoles possibly getting a new waterbender?"

Mako squeezed Meili extra tightly before setting her back into her chair.


	41. An Inevitable Passage: Discussing The Children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wu and Mako discuss their children.
> 
> Written for my beta reader, Jac, who wanted this drabble. I can refuse that woman nothing!

"Mako! Are you there?" Wu called down the stairs, standing at the top of the landing.

"What?" 

"Have you seen my gold and emerald cuff links? The ones with the bar cut emeralds?"

"No. Did they get mixed up with mine?"

"Why on earth would you take my cuff links?"

"We got the new maid last week, remember? Maybe she mixed them up."

"Mako! Must we shout up and down the stairs like guttersnipes?"

"I _am_ a guttersnipe."

"Well, can you come up here, then?"

"Wu! I'm trying to listen to the news! Just go fish through mine. Or are your royal fingers broken?"

"Fine," Wu muttered, stalking across the landing and back into the bedroom, through the door into Mako's dressing room. He sighed. Mako had a point about the new maid. Raava herself only knew where half of their belongings had been stashed. Zhi was still going on and on about missing a specimen and Wu had a sinking feeling the new maid had actually disposed of it. Oh, they'd never hear the end of it if that was the case. Maybe he'd make her sit in a room with Zhi for an hour so _she_ could listen to him wail about it. Wu would guarantee that she'd never misplace anything else of Zhi's again.

Wu tsked as he looked around the room. Mako was not, contrary to popular belief, a particularly orderly man when it came to his belongings. Wu had always supposed he was too busy keeping track of things in his precise mind to bother with the physical. There were a pair of trousers, half slumped across a bench onto the floor; several ties had been considered and then discarded across a counter. Never mind the crumpled shirt laying in the middle of the floor. Wu picked the ties up and smoothed them down, hanging them back up properly. It's why he'd insisted on having separate dressing rooms when he had the house remodeled for them all those years ago. He loved the man, but he'd fallen over a pair of his discarded shoes in the dark one too many times. At least the chaos was somewhat contained this way.

Wu spent a few minutes tidying things up before he opened up Mako's jewelry cabinet. Mako wasn't much for jewelry; he had his wedding ring, which he always wore, despite it being hidden under the glove he wore to hide his burn scars. He also had a few sets of cufflinks and tie pins, but that was it. Wu immediately saw the embossed green silk box that held his emerald bar cuff links, opening it to make sure they were in there. He had no idea whatsoever why the maid would take his cuff links and put them into Mako's dressing room. Unlike his husband, Wu was a very tidy man and he was quite sure he had put them away properly. Well, he'd just have to speak to her, obviously. He sighed again.

There was also a small pink box tucked in among Mako's things. Curious, Wu reached out and took it, opening it carefully. Inside, nestled in white velvet, was a lovely enameled ring. Wu smiled in delight; it was covered with tiny, bright butterflies, clearly meant for Naoki. Wasn't that just like Mako! He often brought home little surprises for the children; a new doll's dress for Meili, sidewalk chalk for Zhi, a skipping rope for Naoki. He'd see things that caught his eye when he was out and about at work, buying them impulsively. He'd told Wu once that it meant the world to him that he was able to do that; just buy something small that he thought the children would enjoy, without having to count up the cost of everything.

It was, in fact, the reason why Wu himself rarely brought the children home gifts. He knew how much it meant to Mako as a father to be able to do these things for them; Wu didn't want to add himself into that. Spending money was certainly not anything Wu thought twice about. But Mako loved to do these little things for them. It had never escaped Wu's notice, either, that Mako especially liked to buy pretty, frilly things for his girls. Just last week he'd presented Meili with a very large and frothy hair bow made of pale blue satin and lace, much to Meili's utter joy. She'd immediately put it in and was very reluctantly parted from it at bedtime.

He put the box back where he'd found it and went back into his own dressing room, fastening the cuff links into his shirt, pulling his jacket on. He had another few minutes before he and Qi needed to leave to spend the afternoon planning a benefit for the Conservatory of Music. He was bound and determined to cajole Katsura into playing the new piece she'd composed and had played for them at dinner a few weeks prior. He checked himself critically in the mirror and found himself acceptable before heading down the stairs.

Mako was sitting in the family's living room, feet on the coffee table, tea cup in hand. Wu strongly resisted the urge to express his displeasure about the placement of his husband's feet. Not well enough, apparently; Mako's feet swung off the table on their own accord.

"Found them?"

"Yes. The news over?" 

"Yeah. Nothing worth listening to anyhow."

Wu took a seat next to him. "I saw what else you had in there as well." At Mako's quizzical look, he smiled. "The ring."

Mako's face cleared. "Ah. Yeah, I saw it a couple of weeks ago, thought Naoki might like it." He twiddled his tea cup about. 

Wu raised an eyebrow. "Why haven't you given it to her? If you're waiting for her birthday it's going to be awhile."

"No, it's not that. I just...well. I'm not sure if she'll want it."

"Why on earth wouldn't she want it?" Wu craned his head to look at him. Mako was staring moodily into the tea cup and shrugged.

"Dunno. It's maybe a little too young for her now. I don't know if she still likes that kind of thing anymore."

Wu put his hand to Mako's arm. "Mako! Is this about the whole brassiere thing? Lin told me that she doesn't need much more than a sort of glorified chemise now as it is. Although I suppose that will be changing sooner rather than later."

Mako frowned unhappily. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, she couldn't stay a little girl forever, I suppose." Wu was not particularly bothered at the idea of any of his children growing older. After all, everyone did it. And in any case, he quite enjoyed Naoki's maturing wit and intelligence. She was growing into quite the splendid young lady, as far as her Papa was concerned.

"Well, I wish she would," Mako muttered. "I'm not ready."

Wu laughed at that, gently. Very gently. "Well, I don't suppose it matters if we are or not, so long as she is. Oh, Mako. She's still your little Butterfly, after all, and you are her Daddy. You should give her the ring." 

"Yeah. I just...what if she doesn't like that kind of thing any more? What if she thinks it's too babyish?" He looked over at Wu and Wu was surprised to see a hint of tears in his eyes. "What if she gets tired of all the butterfly things? Because she will eventually, I guess. She'll probably think it's too young, too stupid."

"Oh, Mako." Wu put his arms around him. "I assume her taste will change as she gets older. Doesn't it for all of us? But I don't think she's changed all that much. Not quite yet. And who can say? She knows what she likes, she always has. She's never been one to let anyone else dictate how she feels or what she wants, Raava herself knows." He laughed. "Stubborn streak, just like her father." He kissed Mako's cheek. "I know it worries you. I guess we'll all just have to figure it out. Take heart! By the time Meili needs a brassiere we'll be old hands at it! Oh Mako! No! Don't look like that! Meili's only four! We've got plenty of time with her!"

"I think I finally understand why it is that people decide to have another baby," Mako said, and sighed before resting his cheek against Wu's. "I miss having a baby around. Don't you?"

Wu snorted. "I do _not_. I have never been as enamored of infants as you are, you know that.  Give me a child you can speak to and reason with, please!"

"Really? You wouldn't want another one?"

Wu sighed. "Oh Mako, I don't know. It's not like we planned for the three we have, anyhow. They were just sort of dropped into our laps. Not that I am complaining, mind. You know I'm not. I wanted them every bit as much as you did. But I'm not sure we can just rely on random infants appearing in order to satisfy any parental urges we might have. Where on earth would we get a baby?"

"Yeah, I know. I know. I just...sometimes it's something I think about."

Wu stood up. "Well, you'll have to think alone this afternoon, because I hear Qi coming down the stairs and we must go. You may need to pick Qi up off the floor, however. I actually am ready on time for once."

"Proof that anything can happen if you only believe."

"Ha! Oh, such an amusing little man you are!" As Wu walked out of the room to meet with Qi he turned back. "Give her the ring, Mako. She'll love it."

Mako closed his eyes and smiled.


	42. Festive Felicitations: An Anniversary Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wu and Mako celebrate their wedding anniversary. Lin and LoLo celebrate an anniversary as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a special request from Amira, who wanted more Lin and LoLo and a double date anniversary dinner! I hope she enjoys it!

The hired car had already pulled up and had been waiting for at least a half hour by the time Wu managed to make his way down the stairs. "Lin! You are an absolute _vision_! That dress is couture, isn't it?"

"If by couture you mean did I pay some jerk to make me stand there for hours while he marked all over me with chalk while I couldn't use the toilet, then yes. It's couture."

Wu beamed at her. "And in crimson instead of green, no less! You're branching out! I'm so proud." He nodded at LoLo. "And a new suit from you as well! My gracious! We certainly are all turned out this evening."

"Wu, we're late. They're going to give away our reservation." Mako was standing next to the front door, fist to his hip, mouth in that tight little grimace that meant he was annoyed.

Wu raised one eyebrow slowly. "Mako. Dearest. Love of my life. People do not give away _my_ reservations." With that he sailed out the front door.

"You know he's right," Lin said as LoLo offered her his arm and they walked out the door. Mako closed the door behind them with a particularly sharp grunt.

The car took them south, down to the hottest new restaurant in the city, situated atop a cliff, overlooking the ocean on one side and the spirit portal on the other. The doorman helped Lin from the car and opened the ornate double doors of the restaurant for them, the maître d falling all over herself welcoming Wu to their establishment for the first time. They were led to the best table in the house; the menu was perused and ordered from and drinks were brought.

Wu lifted up his Si Wong Sling in a toast. "Well. Happy Anniversary to all of us."

Mako blinked and lowered his glass. "It's our anniversary, but it isn't theirs. We're the ones who got married."

LoLo laughed and clinked his glass against Wu's and then Lin's. "Well, I guess it is our anniversary at that, isn't it, old girl?"

"Hmph. Is that what this is all about? Why you wanted us along? We're toasting to the first time LoLo and I fucked?" Lin snorted, slammed her glass into LoLo's, and downed half her shot of whiskey. "If I had realized I would have put on my fancier underwear or something." She leaned over to LoLo.  "What was that you called my foundation?"

"Oh, your Keep Your Hands Out Of My Lady Parts corset?" LoLo shrugged one shoulder. "Eh, it's okay, it cranks the look of the dress up a few notches. Besides, we managed to get you out of it fairly quickly the last time you wore it."

Mako grabbed at the bridge of his nose. "No. I don't want to hear about this."

"Well, not the phrase I would have used. I was thinking more along the lines of _consummating your relationship_ , I suppose. Or _Love's First Awakening_. That has a particularly nice ring to it, I think." Wu nudged at Mako with his glass. "Mako, you aren't toasting!"

"Oh, he's just upset at the thought of old people fucking," Lin said, rolling her eyes.

"Old people? Speak for yourself!" LoLo put on a look of mock outrage.

"I am not upset about old people...doing things," Mako said, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Fucking," said Lin, leaning in close to him. "That was the word you were looking for."

"It's not about old people! It's about...oh, never mind!"

"Oh, stop teasing him," Wu said. "If you don't he'll just be grouchy the rest of the night, and if he's grouchy he won't take me out on the dance floor."

"I'm not grouchy, dammit!"

"Well, Mako, I certainly hope you don't have an issue with older generations engaging in acts of connubial bliss, because I for one don't plan on quitting once I hit my sixties."

"Did you really just say _acts of connubial bliss_?" Lin was giving Wu her best Beifong Skeptical Look.

Wu sniffed. "I leave the vulgarity to you. Honestly, I'm surprised your grandmother didn't wash your mouth out with soap. Nice noble family like yours."

Lin snorted. "Please. My grandmother used to carry on with the woman she'd hired to give us dancing lessons during the summers when we lived with her."

Wu's eyes lit up and his hand flew up to cover his mouth. "No!"

LoLo laughed. "You never told me about that!"

"Yeah. Well, I told you that Su and I spent our summers with my grandparents in Gaoling, right?" At LoLo and Wu's nods, she continued. "The summer that Su was six and I was twelve, my grandmother got it into her head that we needed to learn how to dance properly." She rolled her eyes. "Part of the woman's unending effort to make Su and me into proper nice Beifong ladies." She made a face to show her opinion about that. "Don't get me wrong, I actually loved my grandmother. Wouldn't give you a busted up yuan for my grandfather - I never did like him all that much and the feeling was mutual, believe me - but my grandmother was a different story. I have plenty of good memories of her. In any case, she hired a woman to come to the estate every day and give us dancing lessons. Su was the one who really took to it, not me. I can move without falling over myself, but Su? She's actually gifted at it. In any case, the dancing teacher would work with both of us on the traditional dances for an hour or so and then keep Su longer to work just with her. I'd go and do whatever, smack rocks around, explore the estate. In any case, one day when she showed up Su was sick in bed, so she worked with me for an hour and then my grandmother came to offer her tea. I took off like I usually did, but I'd only been gone for a half hour or so when I realized I was hungry. I thought I'd go back and beg some tea off of Grandmother. Well, typical me, I just threw the door open instead of knocking politely and waiting for permission to enter, and there the two of them were, on the sofa in Grandmother's sitting room, half-undressed by that time."

"Surprise!" said LoLo, grinning. 

"Yeah, I'd say. I backed out of there as fast as possible and I'm not sure who of us was more embarrassed."

"What did she say to you?" LoLo finished the last of his whiskey.

"Oh, not a damn word."

Wu was nodding in agreement. "Naturally. You simply don't speak of these things. Or at least not if you're old Earth Kingdom nobility." He held up a hand. "Or at least not _publicly_. Who knows what they were saying about my great-grandfather and his bear behind closed doors."

"Yeah, my mother talked about that bear."

Wu pursed his lips. " _Everyone_ talked about that bear." He and Lin exchanged a look.

"And here I thought Fire Nation nobility were a little on the odd side." LoLo said.

"In any case, I spent the rest of the summer spying on them. My grandmother and the dancing teacher, I mean."

LoLo laughed. "Of _course_ you did." He discreetly flagged down a waiter and ordered another round of drinks.

Lin threw her hand into the air. "Su was good at dancing, I was good at being nosy. Stick to your strengths." She turned her gaze to Mako, who was staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing. Not a damn thing." He shot back the rest of his whiskey.

"Well, spirits know what my father got up to. He had four concubines when he died, although I only really remember one of them. Well, I was very young, after all, and my great-aunt kept me in an entirely different part of the palace from him." Wu cocked his head. "Caiyun. That was her name. The one concubine I met, I mean. I remember her as being very kind to me. She was very clever at folding paper into little animals, she used to make me little toys to play with, she'd sneak them over to me when the Dai Li weren't looking." Wu smiled, remembering. "Well, I suppose they just turned a blind eye to it, they never left my side." He sighed. "They sent his concubines home immediately after my father died, and very well compensated, too, from what I understand. I've always wondered what happened to Caiyun."

"I'm surprised you didn't ask the same fellow who looked up my father to look her up as well," Lin said.

"I tried, but he couldn't find a trace of her. For all I know she's passed on, although she couldn't have been all that much older than I was, come to think of it. My father always did like them young, apparently." Wu frowned a little. "Well, never mind. Sad subject for a happy evening. Let's change it, shall we?"

"So, nine years married, hmm?" LoLo said, changing the subject smoothly. "And you knew each other how long before that?"

"It's been what, fifteen years now?" Wu looked to Mako for confirmation.

"Thirteen. Nearly fourteen." That actually got Wu a smile from Mako.

"There, Mako is the right one to ask. I was only sixteen, you know. Oh my, wasn't I impressed when you brought him in to meet me the first time, Lin!"

"Impressed is one word for it. You were practically drooling."

"Wasn't I just? So handsome! So stern!" Wu shivered theatrically. "There was no way I was letting him get away. Even though he once told you that he'd rather patrol the sewers than work for me a minute longer." 

Mako flushed to the tips of his ears. "You heard that? I...I never knew you heard that!"

Wu laughed. "Oh, I did. Cried for days over it, too. You broke my sixteen year old heart, I tell you." Wu clasped at his heart and made a very sad face.

Mako wasn't laughing. "I'm sorry. It was a cruel thing to say. I'm...I'm really sorry."

"Oh Mako, it was years and years ago. You wouldn't rather patrol the sewers now, would you?" Mako didn't answer, just took Wu's hand in his own and squeezed it tightly.

"Oh, he bitched about it, but he could have quit, you know." Lin pointed at Mako. "Did you a damn lot of good, playing nursemaid. For one thing, it meant you let go of the apron strings with your brother. If you hadn't been on duty living with Wu you probably would have moved back in with Bolin and he would have never gained his independence." She grimaced. "Not that I think working for Kuvira was the smartest move he ever made, but we all know he didn't have anything to do with what she was doing behind the scenes. But it was good from the whole independence standpoint. Gave you some polish, too." Here a nod at Mako. "Took a lot of those rough edges right off of you. Say what you want about Wu back then, but he had manners."

"I should hope so," Wu replied. 

"Taught you some patience as well, Mako. You came a long way in those years." Lin settled back in her chair. "Glad you figured it all out before I did. I spent all those years with Tenzin, spinning myself into circles. I would have hated to see you do the same thing with Korra, for both of your sakes. I was fairly relieved when the two of you finally broke up for good."

"Me too," said Wu, batting his eyelashes at his husband. That got him a smile in return.

"There were quite a few who were surprised when the two of you hooked up but I wasn't one of them. Guess I knew you well enough by then to see how you were behaving around him." She shook her finger at Mako. "I'll never forget how you set my damn desk on fire when my sister radioed about the attempted assassination. I swear to Raava I never thought I'd see the day where _you_ , of all people, would lose control of your bending that way. And never mind all of the months of moping around the station after it happened."

Mako stiffened. "I don't know that I'd call it _moping_."

"Like a lovelorn maiden. Like something out of one of Wu's trashy books."

"I might point out that you read those as well, you know," said Wu, shaking his own finger back at Lin.

"It all seemed to work out in the end, though. And then I took up with this one," Lin said, jerking her thumb in LoLo's direction. "I suppose it's been okay."

"She _supposes_ ," said LoLo, grinning. "Damned with faint praise, am I?"

"Hmph," said Lin, but she smiled. 

"At least I wasn't sneaking around in the middle of the night for years," Mako said, clearly still offended by the moping comment.

"I am grateful you don't want to meditate on your water chakra for three hours every time I'm hoping to knock a few boulders together in the bedroom, though." Lin said to LoLo. "That got real old real fast, let me tell you." She snorted. " _Airbenders_."

"Yeah, that's not how it works for firebenders." LoLo winked. "Isn't that right, Mako?"

"I'll say," replied Wu, with feeling. Mako just pretended as if he hadn't heard.

"Well, old girl, I'll tell you, I wouldn't change a thing. Not a damn thing." LoLo reached over with a finger and chucked Lin gently under her chin. "You were well worth the wait to finally get to meet you."

"Ha!" said Lin. "All this from the man that told me there were no strings attached."

"What can I say? Man gets burned twice, he's naturally a little reluctant to put his hand back into the fire. My father always did tell me that meeting the right woman would change my mind on that one, though. He's never been wrong yet, my father."

"Hmph," Lin grunted at him again, twining her fingers into his across the table.

"You're stuck with me now," said LoLo, taking her hand up and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "I'm too old and set in my ways to go and try and replace you. Not that I could, anyhow. Only woman in the world for me."

"Zip it, Lozan," Lin said, but she was pleased.

"Ah, here we are," said Wu, as the second round of drinks appeared. "Shall we try this again? Happy Anniversary, everyone." He raised his glass, complete with miniature parasol. This time Mako raised his glass as well, and they all tapped their glasses together.

"Happy Anniversary," said Mako, his hand still in Wu's.

"Happy Anniversary, old girl," said LoLo, flashing his dimple Lin's way. "Plenty of strings but no regrets."

"Hmph," said Lin, and she hooked her foot around his ankle under the table. 


	43. An Enthusiastic Scholar: A Decision About Zhi's Schooling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late night discussion about Zhi's schooling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By special request of eeveedoll, who wanted to find out whether or not Zhi was going to go to school.

"No, darling, not Uncle Wu's spectacles," Wu said to his very small niece, gently guiding pudgy grasping fingers away from his lenses.  "Take this instead." He handed her a silver baby rattle. Pearl promptly threw it to the floor.

"She doesn't seem very impressed," said Qi.

"Story of my life," Wu replied, patiently removing another hand from his ear.  "Although I'd like to meet the person who could keep a Beifong woman from what she wanted."

"Hand her back over," Qi said. "I don't have anything breakable."  Qi retrieved the rattle and the baby as well, sitting back down. Pearl stood and balanced carefully on Qi's lap, sturdy thighs wobbling slightly as she slid a bit on the silk of Qi's dressing gown, Qi's hands wrapped securely around her waist. She stared at Qi before leaning over and gumming at Qi's nose. 

"Better you than me," Wu said. "Although she'd certainly have more to chew on if it were _my_ appendage." Wu stretched a little and yawned. "What do you think our chances are that she'll go back to sleep?"

"Why sleep when she can slobber on Qi's nose?" That was Mako, hair tousled, wandering into Qi's sitting room in his shorts.  "What are you doing up here?" That last was directed towards his husband.

"Oh, I couldn't sleep. I came up to do some work, I figured I might as well."

"Did she wake you?" Qi gently removed the baby's mouth. "I was hoping she wouldn't."

Mako shook his head. "No, I came looking for Wu. She fussing?"

Qi nodded. "Little bit."

"We could keep her in our room, you know."

"You're the one who has to work. She's okay up here with me. I can always take a nap tomorrow if I need one." 

"Well, at least Bu went to sleep tonight without crying for his mother. That's a step up." Wu yawned again.

"You should head on back to bed. The both of you. Miss Pearl and I can keep each other company without you." Qi planted a kiss on the baby's round cheek.

"Are you having a grownup party up here?" Zhi was peering around the door. Mako held out an arm and Zhi ran lightly across the floor into it, getting scooped up to Mako's chest. He wrapped his legs around his father's waist.

"What are you doing up? Is Bu crying?" Mako brought his other arm around him.

"No, Daddy. Everybody else is sleeping, I think. I couldn't sleep, though, and I heard some noise up here so I came up to investigate."

"You couldn't sleep?" Wu raised an eyebrow.

"I just couldn't shut my brain off. No matter how hard I tried."

"Ah. Well, I know how that goes." Wu smiled at him. "Anything in particular?"

Zhi frowned. "Well..." He bit his lip.

Mako squeezed him gently. "Go on, spit it out. Otherwise you'll never get to sleep."

"It's just...Daddy, were you happy that San showed you how he could bend the metal today?"

Mako blinked. "Of course I was. He's been working hard at it with Wei. It'll be a nice surprise for Uncle Bo when he and Opal get home."

"And you were really happy when Naoki used her fire to fly across the whole park last week?" 

Mako grimaced. "Well, mostly I wanted to ground her for the next ten years for disobeying me about it."

"But you were proud of her though, right? Because flying long distances with flame is hard to do?"

Mako raised a hand to smooth back Zhi's hair. "Yes, it's hard to do. I'm proud of the accomplishment, even if I'm not thrilled she actually did it."

"And Meili can make water into ice and back again quick as anything now and that's good, right?"

Mako stared down at his son. "Zhi, what's this all about?"

Zhi's eyes filled up with tears. "I can't do any of those things, Daddy. I don't do anything that makes you proud. I'm not a bender like everybody else."

Mako' jaw dropped. "Zhi! Hey, now! No! I...no! That's not...I mean..."

"Oh darling!" Wu stood up and came to put his hand to Zhi's back. "Darling! Do you really think we somehow aren't proud of you because you aren't a bender?"

Zhi sobbed. "I know you are, Papa, because you aren't a bender either and Qi always listens to me talk about my specimens, but Daddy..." One sob turned into many. Mako looked at Wu in consternation. Wu gestured to Zhi with a wide-eyed look.

"Zhi...honey...of course I'm proud of you," Mako started, but fell silent when Zhi sobbed even harder.

"You're just saying it now to make me feeeeeeeeeeeeel better!"

Pearl scrunched up her face and without warning added her own wails to the fray. Qi quickly stood up and closed the door from the sitting room to the landing, still holding Pearl. "Okay now, hush now, baby. Shhhh shhhhh shhhhh." Qi jiggled her on one hip.

Mako sat down in one of Qi's armchairs, Zhi in his lap. "Zhi, I'm not just saying it. I really am proud of you. You are the smartest kid I know. Smart like your father, too, you know so much about everything."

Zhi pulled his tear-stained face out of Mako's chest. "But Daddy, I heard you tell Papa that I had to toughen up, that if I don't the other kids at school will beat the shit out of me." He quickly turned his head to Wu. "I'm sorry I said that bad word, Papa, but it's the one Daddy said. I was only quoting." His little face was very earnest.

"I know that, darling. It's all right."

Zhi turned back to Mako. "Daddy, I don't want to toughen up. I don't even know how to do that. I don't like to fight with people. I know Naoki likes to," this got a little snort out of Qi, who was now walking in circles around the floor, jogging Pearl up and down, "but it makes me feel awful." His lower lip quivered. "I know the other kids don't like me, Daddy. They tell me all the time, for one thing, and for another, they never want to play with me. Naoki makes them, and San too, when he comes over, but they don't really want to." He thrust his chin out. "And don't even tell me that they do, Daddy, because I'm a fairly perspicacious person, you know."

"Zhi, I'm sure that-" Mako started, but Zhi cut him off.

"No, Daddy! Don't talk to me like that! Don't stop listening to me! I'm trying to tell you something!"

Mako hugged Zhi. "I'm sorry."

"Daddy, I know you want me to go to that school next month. But Daddy, I'm not like Naoki. Not everybody likes Naoki, but nobody will pick a fight with her because they know she will annihilate them."

"Truer words," murmured Qi. Pearl, finally quieted down, was resting against Qi's shoulder, her eyes wide.

"I'm not like San either. Everybody likes San. Everybody is San's friend. And who couldn't like Meili? Everybody loves her. But it's not like that for me, Daddy."

Mako smoothed back Zhi's hair.

"Even lots of grownups don't like me. They say I'm too big for my britches, or that I'm difficult. Madame Xifang from down the street told her friend when they were walking past me last week that I was a freak of nature."

Wu went still and his eyes flashed. "Oh _did_ she, now?"

"I try not to let it hurt my feelings, but it does. It hurts them a _substantial_ amount. And Daddy, I just can't be tough enough not to let it hurt. I wish I could." Here he started to sob again. "I really wish I could because sometimes it makes me so sad I just want to lay down and die."

Mako pulled him into his chest, hard, rocking him back and forth. "Zhi...I didn't know it hurt you so much. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I don't want to disappoint you, Daddy! I just want you to be proud of me like you are of Naoki and Meili! And if you really want me to go to that school and toughen up I will try as best I can, but Daddy, I'm afraid I won't be any good at it and I will just make you sad and ashamed of me."

Mako swallowed, hard, before pulling Zhi away until he could look at him. He gently thumbed away the tears running down Zhi's cheeks. "I have never once been ashamed of you, Yaozhi." His voice was rough. "Never once. I am so sorry I made you feel that way. Sorrier than I think I've ever been for any other reason in my life. I love you. I've loved you ever since I first found you in that cardboard box and brought you home to your father. You are so damn smart. So smart. Smarter than me or your father or Qi all put together. And not just smart, but kind and compassionate and giving. You make me proud every single day, do you understand me?"

"Really, Daddy? Really and truly?" Zhi's little face was so hopeful that Wu's eyes filled up as well.

Mako pulled him close. "Really and truly. And Zhi, if you don't want to go to that school we'll figure something else out. Your father's been wanting to get you a tutor here at home anyhow."

Zhi turned to look at Wu. "You have, Papa?"

Wu went down to his knees next to Mako's chair and kissed Zhi. "Yes, darling. I think you might do very well that way. You could go at your own pace, learn what you were interested in. That's how I was taught, as I am sure you recall."

Zhi sat up. "Oh, Papa, truly? Could I study anything I wanted? Like how to make maps? Really good ones? Oh! And why clouds look different? I want to know why sometimes they look all fat and fluffy and why sometimes they look all flat and stretched out." His eyes went huge. "Oh _Papa_! Can I learn how to make _explosions_?"

"Er, yes. Well. Perhaps we'll save the explosions for later. And somewhere less residential. But yes, darling. You may study all of these things."

"Oh, Daddy! Is it true? Can I do it? You won't be angry or disappointed?"

Mako kissed his boy on both of his eyes. "I won't be angry or disappointed. I promise."

"Daddy, your whiskers are all scratchy."

Mako smiled. "Sorry about that, buddy." He held Zhi close for a few more moments, his own eyes closed. "You think maybe you could go back to sleep now?"

"Could I sleep with you and Papa tonight? I know I'm technically supposed to be too big but maybe just for this one time?"

"Yeah. It's okay." Mako stood up, his boy in his arms. "Come on, Wu. You need to sleep too. Is Pearl back down?"

Qi nodded once, gesturing chin first at the chubby toddler nearly asleep in Qi's embrace. "We're good. I'll change her diaper and hopefully that will do it."

"Good night, Qi," Zhi whispered from his perch in Mako's arms. "Sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite."

"If there are any bedbugs in my bed then I know who put them there," Qi said, and dropped Zhi a wink. "See you in the morning, kiddo." Qi waited for them to leave before shutting the door behind them. "Interesting times, baby girl," Qi said to Pearl and Qi put her back into her crib next to Qi's bed, quickly changing her diaper as her eyes drifted shut. "Never a dull moment." Qi sat for a time on the edge of the bed, watching over the baby as she slept.


	44. An Unexpected Question: San Asks His Parents About Sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> San asks his parents about sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Written for a Tumblr prompt!](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/post/142824888251/hi-im-a-big-fan-of-your-legend-of-korra-stories)

"I'm not sure what they're going to do about it. We were supposed to shoot there tomorrow, but not if it's full of mud." Bolin swayed back and forth rhythmically, a dozing Pearl in his arms. "I guess go back to the studio. Maybe? Or not."

"I thought you'd finished all of the indoor shots." Opal had out her knitting needles and was clicking away, a profusion of brightly colored yarn in a basket next to her.

"We did! So I don't know! You know Varrick, he'll either re-write the whole script or..." he trailed off as he saw a child hovering in the doorway. "Hey there, big guy! What's up?"

San took a step into the room and Opal raised her eyebrows at him, fingers still moving automatically. "Is something wrong?"

San shrugged and dug a bare toe into the floor, carefully not meeting his parents' eyes. Opal and Bolin exchanged a look. Opal took a hand away and patted the sofa cushion next to her. "Come on over and take a seat, sweetie. Watch my knitting."

"What are you making, Mommy?" San scrambled up next to her and peered at her needles.

"I'm making some mittens for your Uncle Wu to give out to the children in the park. It's starting to get cold out."  She leaned over and kissed the top of San's head. "So do you want to tell Daddy and me what's bothering you?"

San shrugged again and stared at Opal's fingers, moving quickly, needles looping and pulling.

"Well, how about I go put Pearlie here to bed and then come back out and sit for awhile, how's that?" Bolin smiled down at him.

"Sure."

Bolin winked at Opal. "Be back in a swoop of a spiritbunny's wings, then." He walked out of the room and Opal kept knitting. There was no point in trying to push San into talking before he was ready; he could get balky about it and would refuse to speak at all. 

"What color stripe should I put in this one?" Opal asked, holding up half of a bright blue mitten.

San sorted through her yarn. "Put an orange stripe. And then maybe a yellow one?"

"Oh, very colorful. Good choice." She kept knitting while San silently and carefully sorted through her yarn.

"This green yarn is pretty, Mommy. It's the same color as your eyes."

"Well, that makes it the prettiest yarn in the whole wide world then, huh?" Bolin came back in and sat down on San's other side, opening his arms and hugging San tightly when he crawled right in. "Nobody prettier than Mommy, am I right or am I right?"

"You're right," said San, nodding his head enthusiastically. "Mommy is the kindest, too. And the smartest." Opal shot the both of them a look out of the corner of her eye, amused.

"So here we are, just Mommy and Daddy and San. Just hanging out. On the sofa. In our house." Bolin smiled happily. "Just taking it eeeeeeeasy. Easy going! Just us. Sitting around. Shootin' the breeze. Niiiiiiiiice and comfy."

San giggled. "Daddy, you're goofy."

"You know what's goofy? THIS!" Bolin grabbed San and yanked up his pajama top, planting a loud and wet raspberry on his belly. San wriggled and giggled.

Opal laughed. "Shhhhhh, you two! Before you wake up Bu and the baby!"

Bolin clapped a hand over his own mouth as well as San's. "Mommy's right," he said, in a very loud whisper around his own fingers. "We have to be quiet."

San quieted down and they sat for a moment, watching Opal work an orange stripe into the mitten.

"Naoki punched a boy after school today."

Opal raised an eyebrow. "You mean over at Uncle Wu's house?"

"Yeah, at the park. He said something to Naoki and she punched him right in the face. I don't know who he was, he was some different boy. Older boy. I never saw him before."

Opal frowned. "What did he say? Naoki's Naoki, but she doesn't usually punch people without provocation."

San stared at his toes. "Well. He said that Naoki was cute enough to fuck." He shot a quick glance at his mother. "That's a really bad word."

Bolin whistled. "Oh, Mako won't be happy to hear that." He grimaced.

"Naoki shouted at him and punched him in the face and kids were yelling and then Qi came over to see what was going on and when Qi heard what that boy said Qi grabbed him by the neck and put him into a headlock and said something into his ear. I couldn't hear it but the boy ran away really fast when Qi let him go. Qi said that if the boy came back ever we were supposed to go and get Qi right away. He was bigger than Qi but I think Qi really scared him."

Opal took a deep breath. "I can only imagine." She and Bolin exchanged another look over San's head.

"I asked Gen, one of the boys at the park, what fuck meant and he told me it means sex but I don't really know what that means either. So can I ask what it means?"

"Wow! Okay. So. Yeah. Hey. So I guess we can have this talk, sure. Because you're eight now and that's like almost halfway grown up." Bolin scratched at the back of his head. "I don't remember how old I was when I had this talk. Mako just told me," and here Bolin shifted his face and his tone of voice, sitting up very straight, "Don't get anyone pregnant, Bo, babies cost too much money." Bolin shrugged back into himself. "Well, you know how he is."

"Sex ed with Mako. Spirits," said Opal, rolling her eyes before smiling down at her son. "San, it's okay to ask. Granny talked to all of us about sex when we were old enough to ask questions about it. So what kind of questions do you have?"

"Naoki told me once that sex was what happens when two people want to make a baby. Like you and Daddy did for me and Bu and Pearl."

Opal nodded, needles still clacking. "That's right. People who want to make a baby have sex together."

"But Uncle Mako and Uncle Wu didn't do that."

"No. To actually make a baby there has to be a man and a woman. That's just how it works." Opal motioned with her needle. "Hand me the yellow yarn, would you?"

San handed it over. "Is that why Uncle Mako had to go and find babies?"

Bolin laughed. "Detective Mako, baby finder!"

Opal shot him a look, trying to fight back a smile. "That's why Uncle Mako and Uncle Wu adopted your cousins, yes. Between the two of them they couldn't make a baby."

"But Uncle Wing and Auntie Nuo could."

"I'll say," said Bolin. He opened his mouth to say more but desisted when Opal shot him a warning look.

"Yes, that's right. And Granny and Grampy made your uncles and me."

"Do people only have sex when they want to make a baby?"

Opal shook her head. "No. People have sex for lots of reasons. Making a baby is just one of those reasons. Plenty of people have sex who don't want to have a baby."

San thought about this for a moment. "How come?"

"Sex can feel really good when people are having it with other people that they like or love." Opal started with the yellow stripe.

"Does it feel good when you have sex with Daddy?" 

Opal smiled. "Yes, it does." Bolin turned an interesting shade of crimson. "Usually, though, people keep sex private. In their bedrooms, for example."

"But what do people do? When they have sex."

"Well, for example, when a man and a woman want to have a baby, a man puts his penis into her vagina. You know what those things are, you know what people's bodies look like."

"Uh huh."

"However, it really depends. Lots of people do lots of different things that feel good."

"Do Uncle Mako and Uncle Wu have sex?"

"Yes," said Opal, matter-of-factly.

"But they both have penises so that's why they can't make a baby?"

"Exactly right. Babies can only grow inside a woman. In her uterus, which is located near her stomach. You saw how Pearl grew inside me."

"So men can never have a baby grow inside?"

Opal shook her head. "Only women."

San turned to his father. "Did you ever wish you could have a baby grow inside, Daddy?"

Bolin's eyes filled up a little. "You know, I kind of do, big guy. Mommy clearly grows the best babies in the entire world, but I always wished I could feel what it feels like to have a baby inside." He leaned across San's head to kiss Opal on the cheek. Opal smiled back at him and then took her hand away from her knitting to tilt San's chin up gently.

"Listen. Fuck is a mean and nasty word for sex. That's why I don't want to hear you use it, okay? What that boy said to Naoki was rude and mean and he said it to make Naoki feel bad. I don't want to hear you using that word that way, do you understand me?"

San nodded. "Uh huh. I don't want Naoki to punch me in the face, either."

Opal fought back another smile. "No, I'm sure you don't. Sex is not a dirty or a bad thing, San. But it's only for people who want to do it. And it's not for children, either. It's a grown-up thing."

"Yeah, listen to Mommy. Sex should only ever happen when people want it to, when they say yes and mean it. That's really extra important. Only if everyone says yes. That way it feels good and nice."

"Like how good and nice?"

Bolin hugged his boy. "If it is with someone you really love, it's like candy and ice cream and school holidays and flying kites and birthday presents and firecrackers all at the same time." He looked over at his wife. "That's how it is with Mommy. Every single time."

"Oh, Bolin," said Opal, smiling at him and it was her turn to flush slightly pink.

"You really love Mommy, huh Daddy?"

"I really really super duper with mochi on top love Mommy. Mommy is the _best_. Someday I hope you find someone to love as much as I love your Mommy."

San sat for a time between his parents as his mother finished off a mitten and cast off the matching one. His father was uncharacteristically silent, his arm wrapped securely around his son.

"Are you going to have another baby, Mommy?"

"You mean right now? No, sweetie, I'm not pregnant."

"I mean later on. When Pearl is bigger."

"Ah. Well, you never know, I suppose. But probably not. Daddy and I stopped trying after Bu was born. Pearl was a little bit of a surprise."

"Nicest surprise I ever got," Bolin said, winking down at San.

"Was I a surprise?"

Bolin shook his head. "Nothing doing. Your Mommy and me decided that we loved each other so much and we were so happy that we'd try for a little baby and would you look at that? We got you! Good thing, too! What if someone else had snatched you up first? I'd have to march right over to their house and say, hey now! Listen up, there's been some kind of a mistake! You got our San and we need him back right away. Our family wouldn't work without our San!"

San grinned to himself, the gap where his right front tooth was still growing in making an appearance.

"Are those all the questions you have for tonight, sweetie? Or do you have more?" Opal smiled down at him.

"I guess that's all for tonight. But I can ask more later, right?"

Opal nodded. "Yes. Anytime you like. It's always okay to ask Daddy or me questions. About anything, okay?" She put her hand on his back and rubbed it.

"It's not like you're Zhi or anything. Whooo-wee! Can that kid ask questions!" Bolin threw his hands up into the air. "Yesterday he asked me why some nose hairs were long and some were short." Bolin made a face. "I don't actually know the answer to that question." He felt at his nose. "Although come to think of it I guess I should check and see if I need a trim or something."

"Zhi says that if he doesn't ask he'll never know. I guess I just don't want to know as many things as Zhi wants to know."

"Well, Zhi is Zhi. And you are you. Just as long as you know you don't _need_ to ask Naoki or even boys in the park. You can ask Daddy or me."

"Okay, Mommy. I guess I can go back to bed now. Except I'm thirsty."

"Hey! How you doin' there, Thirsty! I'm Daddy!" Bolin jumped off the sofa and gave an elaborate bow.

"Oh, Bolin," said Opal, sighing and shaking her head. "You just had to, didn't you?"

Bolin grabbed San up and threw him over his shoulder. "Hey Opal, would you look at that? I've got a wriggly wiggly sack of rice to carry around!" San giggled as his father bounced him up and down.

"Go get him a drink. But don't you dare wake up anyone up, you two!"

Bolin leaned over so that San could kiss his mother, upside down. "Good night, Mommy!"

"Good night, sweetie." Opal kissed him back. "See you in the morning." As they headed towards the kitchen, Opal smiled and took up the orange yarn to make another stripe.


	45. An Explanatory Brochure: A Day At Republic City's National History Museum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first page of the brochure for Republic City's National History Museum's special exhibit, The Hou-Ting Children.

Welcome to the Hou-Ting wing of the National History Museum of Republic City. This wing was built in 200 AG through a generous donation from the Hou-Ting family, and continues to be funded by a annual arts grant from the Hou-Ting Foundation.

This season's Special Exhibition, _The Hou-Ting Children_ , is a collection of memorabilia on generous loan from the Hou-Ting family, Republic City University and the Royal Family of the Fire Nation.

More information about the history of the family can be found at the end of the brochure.

 

1\. **The Coronation Robe of Hou-Ting LIV (on loan from the Hou-Ting family)**

This robe, made of yellow silk, was designed in 175 AG by The House of Wong, a very popular design house in Ba Sing Se at the time. It was made to commemorate the coronation of Hou-Ting LIV, the last monarch of the Earth Kingdom. Hou-Ting LIV - or, as he was more commonly known, Prince Wu - abdicated his throne a year later, leading to the dissolution of the Earth Kingdom.

The robe has been extensively hand embroidered with various flora and fauna of the former Earth Kingdom. Of special note is the right cuff, which has been embroidered with a stylized fire ferret surrounded by flames, at odds with the more naturalistic renderings on the rest of the robe. It is believed that this was in honor of Hou-Ting's Prince Consort, Mako Hou-Ting, who at one time had played on the Fire Ferrets pro-bending team.

 

2\. **A Portrait of Meili Hou-Ting by Huan Beifong (on loan from the Hou-Ting family)**

This work was completed in 175 AG and depicts the mother of Hou-Ting LIV in court dress sitting in a stylized field of flowers. The original work, painted in 155 AG, was lost in the fall of Ba Sing Se in 171 AG; however, Beifong painted this replacement portrait in Zaofu for Hou-Ting LIV as a gift. 

The portrait is atypical of Beifong at that time; he used smaller brushstrokes and muted colors, embracing a more realistic style than the more expressionistic style he customarily painted in during the earlier part of his career.

 

3\. **A Portrait of the Hou-Ting Children by Huan Beifong (on loan from the Hou-Ting family)**

This work was completed in 192 AG and depicts the children of Hou-Ting LIV. From left to right is Yaozhi, age fourteen, Meili, age eleven, Sayuri, age four, and Naoki, age eighteen. The children have been painted in a formal style in the living room of the Hou-Ting mansion, located in Republic City.

Beifong's maturing style can be seen here. The colors are bolder and the details clearly defined and executed; the blue of Meili Hou-Ting's eyes, for example, as well as the intricate butterfly pattern of Naoki Hou-Ting's dress and the sunlight reflecting off of Sayuri Hou-Ting's curls.

 

4\. **Naoki Hou-Ting's katana (on loan from the Hou-Ting family)**

Naoki Hou-Ting, a Master Firebender, was also trained in the arts of the Kyoshi Warriors as a girl by Yumi, a retired Kyoshi Warrior. This katana was presented to her as a gift on her eighteenth birthday by Kya, the daughter of Avatar Aang. The katana had been owned by Kya's aunt by marriage, Suki, a Kyoshi Warrior who fought with Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko. 

The katana itself was forged in approximately 95 AG on Kyoshi Island. 

 

5\. **Yaozhi Hou-Ting's notes and photographs of the Qi Arachnid (on loan from the Hou-Ting Family)**

Yaozhi Hou-Ting discovered, classified and named the Qi arachnid in 207 AG while exploring in the Si Wong desert. This spider is the only known arachnid which can change gender depending on atmospheric as well as environmental conditions.  The spider is a very rare species and can only be found within a hundred kilometer radius. Republic City Zoo's Hou-Ting Invertebrate Center currently has an exhibition of this exquisite arachnid.

 

6\. **Photographs of Meili Hou-Ting Healing (on loan from the Hou-Ting Family)**

These photographs were taken of Meili Hou-Ting between the years of 221 and 224 AG, while she was working at The Bridge Clinic. The Bridge Clinic, Republic City's first free healing clinic, was founded in 202 AG by Meili Hou-Ting, Rohan, a Master Airbender and the grandson of Avatar Aang, and Natsiq, a Waterbender Healer who was orphaned at a young age and resided on the streets of Republic City before being sent to train in the Southern Water Tribe by Prince Wu Hou-Ting, Meili Hou-Ting's father. Both Rohan and Natsiq can be seen in several of the photographs as well.

The Bridge Clinic continues its work today, financed by the estate of Lin Beifong, one-time police chief of Republic City and a very close friend of the Hou-Ting family.

 

7\. **Sayuri Hou-Ting's early prototype of the Analytical Engine (on loan from Republic City University)**

This is one of Sayuri Hou-Ting's earliest prototypes of her Analytical Engine, the precursor to our modern computational machines. Sayuri is credited with the invention of this machine after she spent 211 AG on sabbatical from Republic City University at the Northern Air Temple, apprenticing with Baatar Beifong, Junior. 

 

8\. **A photograph of the Hou-Ting Children with family and friends (on loan from the private collection of the royal family of the Fire Nation)**

This photograph was taken in 196 AG by an unknown photographer. The setting is in the backyard of the Hou-Ting family mansion, on the occasion of Sayuri Hou-Ting's eighth birthday.

In the back row, from left to right: Naoki Hou-Ting, Rose Beifong, Poppy Beifong, Norbu Beifong and Meili Hou-Ting

In the middle row, from left to right: Prince Sozui of the Fire Nation, Orchid Beifong, Iris Beifong, Yaozhi Hou-Ting and San Beifong

In the front row, from left to right: Pearl Beifong, Rohan (grandson to Avatar Aang), Sayuri Hou-Ting, Katara Beifong and Goba (a young airbender from the Northern Air Temple)

 

9\. **Pabu (on loan from the Hou-Ting Family)**

This plush fire ferret was named for Pabu, the fire ferret owned by Bolin Beifong, uncle to the Hou-Ting children. It was given as a gift to Prince Wu Hou-Ting in 174 AG. All four of the Hou-Ting children slept with the doll during their childhood. The doll was carefully repaired and restored at some point by persons unknown.

 

10\. **Family Jewelry by Huan Beifong (on loan from the Hou-Ting Family)**

These individual pieces were crafted by Huan Beifong and show his usual delicacy and dedication to form. The butterfly, done in silver with rubies, belonged to Naoki Hou-Ting. The spider wasp, done in silver with jet eyes, belonged to Yaozhi Hou-Ting. The silver koi with the sapphire eyes belonged to Meili Hou-Ting. The lily flower, done in silver with emeralds, belonged to Sayuri Hou-Ting.

 


	46. A Delicious Awakening: Opal Gets Breakfast In Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Opal gets a Mother's Day surprise.
> 
> Nothing here but the fluffiest of fluff, people. FLUFFTASTIC!
> 
> Happy Mother's Day to all of the other mothers out there!

Opal lay for a moment, her eyes barely open in the curtained gloom of her bedroom, taking stock. Husband? Missing. Infant? Missing. She could hear voices, however, so she stayed in bed, trying to listen.

"Daddy, I picked the flowers!" That was Norbu, hushed voice full of excitement. "Here they are!"

"Okay, buddy, they are really pretty. Wow! Just put them here in the vase. How's the juice looking?" Bolin. Opal smiled to herself. The man couldn't whisper to save his life. No matter how quiet he tried be, he still projected across half the house.

"I think maybe there's a seed in there," said San, a little doubt creeping into his voice. "I tried to get it but it kept slipping out of my fingers. Do you think Mommy will mind?"

"Not a chance! Mommy never minds that kind of thing!" She didn't have to see her husband to know he was giving San a big grin, possibly even tousling his hair. "Besides, if Mommy swallows it she could grow an orange tree in her tummy!"

Giggles burbled up, quickly hushed again.

"Who has the best Mommy?"

"We do!" the boys chorused together, and Opal couldn't stop herself from smiling.

"We sure do," said Bolin. "Bu, grab the hoisin sauce, would you? You know Mommy likes it in the morning."

Opal quickly dashed into the bathroom, knowing that if she didn't pee before they all came marching into the bedroom she'd spend a very uncomfortable breakfast. When she was done she got herself back into bed, snuggling into the covers, still listening.

"Do you think Mommy will like the cup?" San, sounding a little anxious, unusual for him.

"Are you kidding me? San! You made it with your own two hands. It's the best tea cup in Republic City! In the world! Mommy will love it! In fact, I have to tell you...I love it, too."

"It's kind of bumpy, though."

"Hey. Listen. You worked really hard on that cup. You made it and you painted it, right? And you did it because you wanted to give Mommy something special, true?"

"Uh huh."

"Then that makes it an extra special cup. Because Mommy, she could go to a shop and buy a super fancy cup that some stranger made, sure. But that stranger who made that cup, he wouldn't be thinking of Mommy and how much he loved her the entire time he was making it, right?"

"No..." San sounded unsure.

"So he'd be making a super fancy cup, you bet, because that's his job. But see, you made a _love_ cup. You thought about Mommy and how much you love her the whole time you were making it, right? Right. So every single time Mommy sees that cup or drinks from that cup she'll think, this cup means my son San loves me so much. And which do you think Mommy would rather have, huh? A super fancy cup or a love cup?"

"A love cup!" That was Bu.

"Exactly. Mommy would rather have a love cup any old day.  And San, it's a beautiful love cup. It's a love cup for the ages. Never was there ever a cup like this one."

A silence, then; "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too! And Bu! And Pearlie! Oh! Hey, Pearl! Don't chew on that spoon, Daddy needs it to stir with!"

"Don't forget Pabu, Daddy." Bu again.

"And Pabu. I love Pabu, too, that's just a given. Okay. Let's see. We've got Mommy's tea, and some juice, and her jook and her buns."

"And the flowers I picked!"

"And the _awesome_ flowers you picked."

"And the hoisin sauce! And the card I drew for Mommy!"

"That too, you awesome card maker, you. What else do we need?"

"A napkin?"

"Phew! Good thing you have good brains in your head, Bu. We sure do need a napkin. Okay, there. That's a fine looking breakfast for Mommy, what do you think?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, I'll carry the tray. San, can you carry your sister?"

"Sure thing, Daddy."

"But what can I carry?"

"Well, we need someone to lead the parade, right? Bu, you and Pabu are in charge of leading the parade. It's a big job. Think you can do it?"

"I can! But Daddy, do I need a mustache? To lead the parade?"

"Of course! Wait a sec, wait a sec..." a silence, and then, "There you go. A mustache for a parade leader."

There were giggles again, this time not so muted.

"Okay! Bu, lead on! Here we go, to surprise Mommy!"

Opal immediately rolled over, pretending to sleep. She even added a few snores for verisimilitude. She tried very hard not to laugh. Once the procession had reached the bedroom (not without a lot of giggles and loudly whispered comments) she blinked open her eyes and stretched her arms, yawning widely before sitting up. "What's going on?"

"Happy Mother's Day!" the boys chorused together, Bu bouncing up and down, Pabu on his shoulders. They were both in their pajamas. 

Opal put her hands to her face. "Oh my goodness! You surprised me! I was sleeping!"

"We were really quiet, Mommy!" Bu's eyes were wide. Unless Opal was very much mistaken, he had a mustache drawn on with hoisin sauce above his lip. Bu kept darting out his tongue to catch the drips.

"You were _so_ quiet! I had no idea!"

San deposited Pearl onto the bed; Pearl wriggled and scooched her way up towards her mother. "We made you breakfast!"

"I can see that! I am so lucky."

"Here, Mommy, we can help with the pillows," San came over and grabbed Bolin's pillows, putting them behind her as she got into a better position. "You get breakfast in bed because you are the best Mommy in Republic City."

"In the whole _world_ ," said Bu, licking at his mustache.

Opal met Bolin's eyes. He was smiling at her, that wide and happy smile, the smile that held no secrets, that told her exactly what his heart was feeling. The smile that she'd fallen for, all those years ago in Zaofu. He had an apron on over his shorts and nothing else. Opal resisted the urge to give his ass a squeeze. Later. 

"Happy Mother's Day," Bolin said, and he carefully put the tray on her lap. He kissed her temple and opened the curtains before sitting on the edge of the bed, causing both Opal and the tray to sag dangerously to one side. Both San and Bu crawled up on the bed as well, and Bolin took Pearl up into his lap.

"Oh my, look at this! Who picked these beautiful flowers?"

"Me! I did it, Mommy! From outside!" Bu was wriggling in joy. "And I drew the card too! See? It's Juicy and Pabu and a rainbow! And our whole family!"

"So it is. You drew this all on your own, Bu? I really like all of the bright colors you used. We have to show this to Uncle Huan the next time he comes to visit." It was actually quite good. "Here, let's put it somewhere safe where it won't get anything on it. I think I'd like to get a frame for it and put it on the wall." Bolin took it from her and stood up to place it on a dresser before sitting back down, the bed sagging again. Bu hugged himself and beamed joy. She picked up the tea cup from the tray. It was a lumpy thing, painted yellow and decorated with what she assumed was red and white flowers. "This is new. Where did this come from?"

San ducked his head. "I made it. At school." He picked at the coverlet.

Opal curled both hands around it. "You made this? For me?"

San nodded, not meeting her eyes.

Opal looked at the cup. In careful calligraphy, San had painted  _Mommy_ on one side. Opal's eyes filled up. "San, I can't believe you made this. It's wonderful. And I love it."

He looked up at her, his face earnest. He looked so much like his father - right down to the cowlicks on his head - that her tears brimmed over. "It's a love cup, Mommy. I made it with love."

Opal handed the cup to Bolin and put her hands on both sides of San's face. "I will treasure it always, San. Thank you so much."

"Well, Mommy better eat her breakfast, right? Because we have to give her her present from Pearl." Bolin was grinning. "Ta-da!" He took an envelope out of his apron pocket and handed it to Pearl, who promptly put it into her mouth. "Oh hey, don't chew on that, honey." Bolin removed it and handed it to Opal, slightly slobbery. Opal opened it and took out a sheet of paper, which informed her she had an entire spa day planned for her. She glanced up at Bolin, who winked at her. "The taxi will be here to pick you up in about an hour."

Opal laughed. "Was this your idea?"

Bolin laughed right back at her. "Mako's, actually. Believe it or not. I said I wasn't sure what to get you and he told me I couldn't go wrong with a spa day."

"Well thank you, Mako, then. And thank _you_ , sweetie. Thank you so much." Opal took a swallow of her tea and smiled at her family, sprawled across her bed. "Who is the luckiest Mommy in all of Republic City?" 

"You are!" chorused both of her boys, and her husband held the baby over for a very wet kiss.


	47. The Game's Afoot: A Day At The Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wuko family spends a summer day on the beach.

"Naoki, I would vastly prefer it if no one were drowned today. You wait for your father before you take that surfing board into the water. Do I make myself _abundantly_ clear?" Wu glared at his eldest through his smoked lenses, safely ensconced in a sun chair under a very large umbrella.

"I'm not going to _surf_ on it! I'm just going to _sit_ on it!" Naoki's hands were on her hips and she glared right back.

"Don't you attempt semantics with _me_ , young lady. You wait for your father, like he told you. He'll be right back."

"Qi is in the water! And Rohan!"

"Qi and Rohan both know how to surf and you do _not_. You wait for your father. End of story."

Naoki threw the surfboard down onto the beach and kicked an arc of flame towards the water before stomping off. Wu sighed. Eleven was turning out to be a fairly trying age.

He glanced around. Qi and Rohan were, as Naoki pointed out, already in the water; Rohan was using his airbending to kick up a wave that both he and Qi were riding with varying amounts of success. Meili was bending some water into rather wobbly spirals under Lin's watchful eye; LoLo was laying on a blanket on the beach itself, eyes closed, happy smile on his face. Well, LoLo did appreciate a warm day on the beach.

Zhi was a little further down the beach, already halfway up a cliff. He was looking for some sort of dragonfly, Wu knew. As he watched, a kuai ball was kicked with wild vigor and went spiraling out of bounds, landing close to where Zhi was climbing. One of the boys who was playing went trotting after it; as he approached he said something to Zhi and Zhi answered. Wu couldn't hear what they were saying, but the boy smiled at Zhi and gestured towards the net before taking the ball and jogging back to put the ball back into the game. Zhi quickly shimmied down the cliff and stood for awhile, watching the other children play. It was likely the other boy had mistaken Zhi's age; Zhi was still two months away from his seventh birthday but was only a inch or so shorter than just turned eleven year old Naoki. That combined with his vocabulary meant that most people assumed he was much older than he was. He was still such a little boy in so many ways, however.

Mako returned from where they had parked the cars, Wu's book in hand. "Here." He handed it over.

"You are a very satisfactory husband," Wu smiled up at him. Mako smiled back.

"You're only saying that because I went to get your book for you."

Wu crooked his finger at him and Mako bent down, laughing. Wu kissed him. "Add it to the list of very satisfactory things you've done for me this morning."

"Day's still young. I could probably manage a few more."

"Could you _please_ stop kissing. People are watching!" Naoki was there, glaring. "Daddy, I've had to wait _forever_."

"Last time I checked, four minutes wasn't forever." Mako winked at Wu and grabbed his face in his hands, planting another kiss on him. "Just in case people are watching."

"We wouldn't want to disappoint our adoring fans," Wu laughed.

"Come _on_!" Naoki grabbed her father's hand and tugged at him. With a grin Mako let himself be dragged away, down the beach to where his surfboard was standing upright in the sand, Naoki's sprawled next to it. Wu watched as Mako pointed at the water and spoke to Naoki; she was clearly eager to get into the ocean but Mako, as always, was not letting himself be rushed. He never did when he was teaching the children, no matter how impatient Naoki was.

"Hi Papa." Wu looked up to see Zhi standing next to his chair. Wu smiled and patted it invitingly and Zhi snuggled next to him.

"Did you find your dragonfly, darling?"

"Nuh-uh, not yet."

"Hmm." Wu ran a hand over the back of Zhi's head. "Did you want to go swimming?"

"Maybe later." Zhi rested his head against his father's chest. "Papa? Could I ask you a question?"

"Of course you may."

Zhi was silent, however, fidgeting a little. Wu waited. Sometimes, with Zhi, you had to wait until he was ready to say what he needed to say. Wu kept stroking his hair. Zhi had a slight smattering of pale freckles across his nose, something that Wu simply adored. Wu resisted the urge to kiss each and every one of them.

"Did you see that boy talking to me?"

"I did, yes."

"He asked me if I wanted to come and play with them. But I don't know how to play kuei ball. I told him that, and he said if I wanted to learn they could teach me."

"Well, that was very generous of him."

"I think he was a bigger boy, though."

"Yes, probably about Naoki's age, I'd guess."

Silence for a time, then, in a whisper: "I think that boy is nice looking." Zhi flushed a bright pink and buried his head into his father's chest.

"Ah," said Wu, and he smiled. "Well, I couldn't see him very well from over here, but he looked very nice."

"He made my tummy feel all funny when he was talking to me," Zhi whispered.

"Yes, that happens sometimes. Especially if you think someone is good looking."

"Do you feel that way sometimes?"

Wu kissed the top of Zhi's head. "My goodness, yes. Many times."

"When was the first time?"

"Hmmm," said Wu, thinking. "Well, the first time I specifically remember was when I was about your age, I suppose. Seven or so. There was a Dai Li agent - you remember who the Dai Li are, right?"

"Yes, you told us."

"Right. Well, in any case, he was a new recruit, very young. Normally I never saw the recruits, only the very well trained Dai Li were the ones on my personal guard, you understand. But on this one particular day I was going for a walk around the palace grounds and the new recruits were being taken on some sort of tour. Usually they trained in the tunnels beneath the palace, but not on that day. I have no idea why. Well, in any case, we came across them and naturally they all kowtowed to me and then I was formally introduced." Wu laughed a little at the memory. "His name was Seok. Oh my, and wasn't he handsome! Brown eyes, I remember."

Zhi sat up a little bit. "What did you do?"

"Oh gracious me, nothing but stand there and then thank them formally for their service. It was what was expected of me at the time." He smiled at Zhi. "But that night, oh, I lay in my bed and I imagined that Seok and I would get married and live happily ever after."

Zhi grinned back. "You did? Really?"

"I most certainly did."

Zhi thought about it. "Did you think Daddy was handsome the first time you saw him?"

"I thought your father was the handsomest man I had ever seen. I still think that."

"Did he make your tummy feel all funny?"

Wu smiled. "Oh yes."

"But he wasn't your boyfriend then, was he?"

"No, darling. Not for several years after that. When I met your father I had a lot of growing up to do."

"But you still thought he was handsome."

Wu looked over Zhi's head, towards the water. Mako was out past the breakers, sitting on his surfboard with Naoki standing on it in front of him, holding onto her legs. "I did, yes," he said softly.

"But Papa, what if I like a boy and he doesn't like me back? What if he doesn't think I am handsome?"

Wu looked back at his son. "Well, I won't lie to you, Zhi. Sometimes it may be that someone that you like, very much, may not like you back. It doesn't feel very nice. But it happens."

Zhi frowned. "But what if it is because I am not handsome enough?"

"Oh, Zhi! Darling, anyone who would not love you because of how you look is not worthy of your love."

"You say that, Papa, but is it really true?"

Wu put a gentle hand to his son's chin and tilted it up so Zhi would meet his eyes. "Zhi, I am not very good looking. I have a very large nose and ears and a very weak chin. My hair is a fright and I am skinny and never could manage any sports. No one has ever looked at me and said, my goodness, what a handsome fellow that Wu is!"

"Papa! Don't say that! You are very nice looking!"

"Well, thank you, darling. My point, however, is that your father still loves me. When someone really loves you - really and truly loves you - your looks don't matter. It is true that I think your father is very handsome, but I would love him even if he looked like a hog monkey's bottom."

This got a giggle out of Zhi. "A hog monkey's bottom!"

"Yes well, luckily Daddy does _not_ look like that. But even if he did. I would still love him, because all of those things I love about Daddy would still be a part of him. His kindness and his goodness and how intelligent he is, all of those things. I might have been attracted to your father because of his good looks, but I fell in love with him because he is Mako."

"Even though sometimes he yells and he always leaves his clothes all over the floor?"

Wu smiled. "Even though. Although I wish he wouldn't." Wu tapped Zhi's nose. "Someday, Zhi, you will find someone to love who will love you in return."

"Do you really think so, Papa?"

"I really do think so. Someday someone will love and cherish you because you are Zhi, and no one else."

Zhi threw his arms around his father and rested his head on his chest again.  "Someday I might want to get married and have children. But then sometimes I think I don't want to, that I just want to go around the world and look for my specimens. I don't know which is better."

"The good news is that you are not quite seven and you don't have to make any decisions about it today."

"Naoki says she is never going to get married and have children. She says that boys are stupid."

Wu laughed. "Well, that might change later. Or maybe not, who knows? But the important thing is to be open to whatever life puts in your path. You never know what will happen. I can tell you, when I was your age? I thought I would become a king and marry a noble girl or two that other people had decided were right for me. And look at me now. You never do know."

"Would they have really made you marry some lady you didn't want to marry?"

"Yes. That's how things were for the monarchs of the Earth Kingdom. I would have been expected to marry at least one noble girl. Most likely two of them."

Zhi sat up again. "How come two?"

Wu sighed. "Well, I didn't have any brothers or sisters or even cousins. There was only me. So it would have been very important for me to have many heirs. Children who could inherit, I mean. It used to be very common for the upper nobility and royalty to have more than one wife. It's not so common any longer, but it still happens."

"So you couldn't have married Daddy?"

"No. I could have kept Daddy with me. To live with me, I mean. But I couldn't have married him."

"That's not fair!"

"No, it really isn't. Which is part of why I gave up the crown. Oh, don't mistake me, there were plenty of other reasons. More important reasons, too. But that was one of them." Wu smiled at Zhi. "You and your sisters may marry whomever you choose. Or you may choose never to marry. The point is that you will have your own free choice about it." Wu kissed his cheek. "But never mind all of that. Darling, what would you like to do? Do you want to go and look for your dragonfly? You can go and play in the water with Meili if you like."

Zhi looked down the beach to where the other children were playing kuei ball. "Maybe I could go watch that for awhile. The game, I mean."

Wu opened his mouth and then shut it again before nodding. "Of course. Why don't you run along, then?"

"Okay, Papa!" Zhi swung himself off of the deck chair and ran down the beach without looking back. Wu watched as he approached the court; the same boy waved at him and halted the game play for a moment to run up and speak to him. Now that Wu was looking closely he could see that the players were unmatched; the other side had four children, but that side had only three. Wu found himself holding his breath. Zhi so often struggled with being social, was often so awkward with other children and Wu didn't think he could bear it if Zhi came back down the beach, rejected and heartbroken yet once again. _Just stay here with me_ , he had wanted to say to him, but he had stopped himself just in time. How else could Zhi learn? But Wu knew how tender his boy's heart was and he couldn't stop himself from being anxious. _Let him play_ , he willed at the other boy. _Just please let him play._

The boy motioned to Zhi and Zhi stepped into the court. He held the ball and spoke to Zhi; the other children joined in, including the ones from across the net. The boy tossed the ball into the air and another girl kicked it high, arcing it across the net. Another child ran for it and caught it, tossing it back over. Some more conversation and then the ball went up into the air again and Zhi crouched down, preparing to kick. Wu held his breath. _Kick it! Kick it!_  

Zhi's long leg pistoned into the air and his foot slammed into the ball, sending it flying over the net. Wu's eyes widened in surprise. That was a firebender's kick if Wu had ever seen one. The other children cheered and one of them pounded Zhi on the back. There was more pointing and then all of the children resumed their positions. The ball went several times back and forth; it headed towards Zhi and he kicked it but the ball went wild. The boy patted Zhi on his shoulder; the girl on his team patted him as well and the game play started up again. Back and forth the ball went, and Wu found he was clenching his hands so tightly that he was leaving fingernail marks in his palms. Back to Zhi the ball went; up went Zhi's foot and the ball spun its way across the net, one of the girls on the other team hitting the sand as she missed it. The children on Zhi's team cheered again and Zhi turned around to see if Wu was watching, his face beaming. Wu lifted his hand for a thumbs up; Zhi flashed one back and then turned back to the game.

"Oh, that's my beautiful boy," Wu murmured, and he fished in his bag for a clean hankie.


	48. An Afternoon's Tea: Lady Boo-Boo's Birthday Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meili hosts a birthday party.
> 
> This story is especially for Ann, since Meili is her favorite.

Mako looked down at the invitation in his hand, smiling. It was written in Wu's very best calligraphy, in gold ink on cream parchment.

 

_Princess Meili Hou-Ting requests the pleasure of your company at a tea party given in honor of Lady Boo-Boo's birthday._

_Please bring fruit tarts._

 

Below that was a drawing of Lady Boo-Boo herself, complete with something festive around her which might have been stars. Or maybe flowers. Mako wasn't sure. They were pink and green, however. He tucked the invitation into the breast pocket of one of his nicer suits and knocked on Meili's bedroom door with the hand that wasn't carrying the white bakery box.

"You can come in now," said the voice from within.

Mako opened the door and stepped in, closing the door behind him as he bowed deeply. "Princess Meili," he said.

"Daddy," her Highness replied, and she bowed as well. She was dressed in her very best finery. There was a deep pink velvet cloche hat slipping down to cover her eyes, decorated with a spray of silk cherry blossoms and pearls; Mako remembered it from the days when Asami had worn it. She had at least seven or eight strings of beads in various colors and one blue and white necklace with dolphin piranha teeth on it that she had openly coveted from Korra. Her dress was a wine-colored silk blouse that he would lay yuan had been Asami's as well; her gray gloves were pulled nearly up to her elbows. She had on a pair of too large blue brocaded slippers that only had a few silver beads missing.

"You look very beautiful today, Princess," he said gravely.

She gave him a regal nod. "You look nice too, Daddy."

Mako looked at the head of the table where Lady Boo-Boo was sitting. Lady Boo-Boo had been rescued from the park across the street from the house; she was missing an arm and her hair was scant, at best. In front of Lady Boo-Boo was a small pile of packages. Mako reached into his pocket and pulled out a package wrapped in pale pink paper with a large silver bow. "Happy birthday, Lady Boo-Boo," he said, and added his package to the pile. 

"You may be seated down," said Meili, gesturing to an empty spot at the table, set between her battered plush Pabu and Queen Fancy, a lovely doll with a wig made of real hair and eyes that could open and close, a gift from Su and Baatar Beifong. Mako sat down on the floor, his legs crossed. He stared down at the table.

"Where are these from?" He picked up one of the tiny doll napkins. They were white, embroidered with a single pink and yellow peony.  There were placemats to match.

"Qi made them for Lady Boo-Boo's birthday." Meili smiled and pressed her own napkin to her cheek. "So pretty."

Mako returned her smile. "They are. Where would you like me to put the tarts, Princess?"

"You may give them to me. I am the hostess."

"Of course," he said, and handed her the box.

"Thank you very much," said the Princess, and she blew him a gracious kiss.  "Now first we can sing happy birthday to Lady Boo-Boo." She looked around the table with a frown. "Everybody has to sing. That includes you, Madame Flower." Madame Flower got a stern look. "She sometimes doesn't sing, Daddy, and it is very rude." Madame Flower stared back at Meili with eyebrows that had been painted into a look of perpetual surprise.

"Ah. Well, if she sings like your Papa maybe it's better she doesn't sing at all."

Meili turned her stern look to her father. "That is not how we speak at our table, Daddy," she said, echoing Wu. Mako fought back a smile. "Now you have to say sorry."

"I'm sorry, Madame Flower."

"Also to me. I am the hostess!"

"Sorry, Princess Meili."

"You are forgiven now," she said, and gave what could only be construed as a Beifong wave of her hand. "Now we sing." She launched into a birthday song, and Mako dutifully sang along. "Now you can give Lady Boo-Boo a nice kiss."

Mako was very glad that LoLo had thoroughly cleaned the doll before she was given back to Meili to play with. He leaned forward, across Queen Fancy, to gently kiss the dolly on her cheek.

"Hmmm," said Meili. "Should we open presents first or have our nice tea?"

"Up to you, Princess. You're the hostess."

Meili nodded. "Okay, then I decide we open presents first." She leaned forward and took up one of the presents, a box with a yellow ribbon. "I have to help her open these."

Mako smiled. "Of course. It's the polite thing to do."

She handed the package to Mako. "But I need your help to read it."

"It says,  _To Lady Boo-Boo from LoLo and Lin_."

Meili tore into the box, revealing a doll-sized teacup and saucer, painted with the same peony that had been embroidered onto the napkins and placemats.

"Oooooh," Meili breathed. "So pretty! Now she is a grown up dolly, she has her own cup!" Meili carefully set the tea cup in front of the doll. "Oh Daddy, look! She's very happy."

"Well, it's a really nice cup."

The rest of the packages were opened; a wee ruffled blue silk coverlet and matching pillow from Wu; a butterfly in a tiny frame from Zhi (with a note that the butterfly had died on its own; Meili usually cried to think of any butterflies being killed), a box of fancy wax candies from Naoki and a doll-sized bouquet of silk flowers from Opal and Pearl.

"Last we open up your present, Daddy."

"Okay."

Meili opened up the pink paper. "I save this silver ribbon, too."

"Good thinking."

Meili stared down at the box. "Oh, Daddy. Daddy! Is that really for Lady Boo-Boo?"

"Of course."

Meili pulled out the dress. It was yellow silk, decorated with white ribbons and seed pearls. There were matching white shoes and a single tiny white glove, as well as a lacy white and yellow hat that could be tied under her chin with a ribbon. One arm of the dress had been tied up with a little rosette.

"See? She has one glove, just like I do." Mako smiled.

Meili was staring at the dress. "Oh, Daddy. Poor Lady Boo-Boo feels sad sometimes because she doesn't have one arm and not so many hairs. But with this dress she will be the prettiest dolly of all. She needs to change right now. You are helping me?"

Mako helped her slide Lady Boo-Boo out of the dress she was wearing, carefully doing up the tiny pearl buttons in the back of the new dress. On went the shoes and the glove; Mako smoothed down her bits of hair and tied the ribbon of her hat under her chin.

"She's looking beautiful, right?" Meili ran her fingers gently across the silk of the dress.

"Yeah, she is. Well. I thought maybe she needed something nice to wear."

Meili came around the table to throw her arms around her father. He hugged her tightly and kissed her, pushing her hat back a bit. "Me and Lady Boo-Boo say thank you, Daddy."

"You and Lady Boo-Boo are welcome."

"Okay, and now we have our nice tea. You can help?"

Mako fished his pocketknife out and cut the string on the bakery box. Inside were nestled two regular sized fruit and cream tarts; alongside them were enough petite tarts to feed all of the dollies and then some. Mako helped Meili place tarts on all of the appropriate plates.

"No eating nobody else's tarts, Pabu!" Meili scolded. "Only eat yours."

Mako reached over and gave Pabu a gentle squeeze and it gave a faint squeak.

"Now I pour us a nice tea," Meili said, taking up her tea pot. She poured into all of the separate cups. "Now we can eat it."

Mako took up his own tart and took a bite. "This is a nice party, Princess."

"Yes, I know," Meili replied. "I have only nice parties." She took a rather large bite of her own tart.

Mako smiled. "Just like your Papa." He took a sip of the tepid water in his cup. "Delicious tea."

"It's the best kind, naturally," she said, looking down her little nose. "Only nice tea at my parties."

"Sure," said Mako. 

They ate their tarts and then started on the dollies' tarts; their very own tradition. After they had finished them up (and Mako had used his own handkerchief to mop up an accidental spill on the part of Korrasami dolly, sitting next to Meili) Mako helped Meili clean up all of her tea things, putting the used dishes onto a tray to take down to the kitchen for washing. "I'll just take these down to the kitchen and bring them back when they're clean, okay?"

"Yes, thank you for your nice, Daddy."

"You're welcome."

"And thank you for being a good boy. I shall invite you next time." 

Mako bowed over the tray. "I look forward to your invitation, Princess."

"You may give me a nice kiss before you leave, okay?"

Mako put down the tray and gathered her up into his arms, hugging her and kissing her all over as she giggled, her hat tumbling to the floor. "I'll see you at dinner, Baby."

"Yes, okay, Daddy. Now I have to put the dollies to a nap, it was a big party."

"Good idea." He took up the tray again and Meili opened her bedroom door, blowing him several kisses before she shut the door behind him. Smiling, he took the tea things down to the kitchen.


	49. An Apprehensive Interim: Wu's First Coronation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waiting for Wu's first coronation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's go way back! Back in time!
> 
> This is based on an anonymous request I got on Tumblr; Anon wanted me to write a little drabble with Mako and Wu based on this scene shot from Book 4's _The Coronation_. Ask and ye shall receive, Anon!  
>   
>   

"I always get what I want. I always get what I want. Upstart piece of street trash." Wu was pacing back and forth, mumbling to himself. "Zaofu's never held themselves accountable for anything they've ever done. Why should she?"

Mako watched him go back and forth, his feet slamming into the ground, his hands clenching and unclenching. Not that Wu stomping made any difference; he was so slight he hardly made any noise at all on the marble floor of City Hall. Mako couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Wu this agitated, if ever. Usually Wu's fits of temper were like a summer storm; they came on fast and without warning, blasted hard for a few minutes and then the skies cleared and the sun shone again. This was different, though. Wu didn't actually seem angry, for one thing. He seemed to be close to tears, to be genuinely distressed. In fact, unless Mako was reading him wrong, Wu seemed almost _afraid_.

"Look, it's just a hotel room," he said. "I know it's kind of a pain in the ass to move but I'm sure they'll put us back in there once she's gone."

Wu whipped around, the expression on his face so ferocious that Mako took an involuntary step back. "It's not just a _room_ , Mako." His voice was furious. "They took me out of my room, the room I've had for several years now. Without consulting me or even stopping to think whether it was appropriate. Don't you get it?"

"Yeah, I get that you are ticked off about the room," Mako replied. Wu was so angry that he half-expected him to start foaming at the mouth. 

"NO!" Wu shouted, and Mako's eyes went wide. Wu could get pretty damn pissy at times but he wasn't much of a shouter. "No! It's not about the room, damn you! It's about how they immediately kowtowed to her, how they considered her more important-" here he recklessly waved his hands in the air, "-than the actual king of the Earth Kingdom." 

"Yeah, okay. I guess that sucks."

Wu stared at him like he was a complete idiot. " _Sucks_? You think it _sucks_? Let me ask you a question. What keeps a monarch in power, Mako?"

Mako blinked. "Uh...I don't know. I mean, a king's a king. An army, I guess?"

Wu threw an impatient hand into the air. "What makes a monarch any different than anyone else? Oh sure, the bloodline, but whatever. Dynasties are toppled and new monarchs are brought in, people intermarry and have sons with one of the kitchen maids, bloodlines aren't always as strong as people like to think they are. But what makes a monarch a monarch and not just, say, someone's bodyguard?"

"Uh..." Mako shrugged. "I really don't know."

"It's all about how people perceive a monarch. How they _see_ him. The respect given to the symbols of his office. The respect given to him by the rest of the nobility, not to mention the common folk." At Mako's continued look of incomprehension, Wu sighed impatiently. "What makes a crown any more official than my top hat? A crown isn't made of some sort of magical materials. When it comes down to it, it's just another hat. An expensive and heavy and uncomfortable hat, but a hat nonetheless. No. What makes it a _crown_ instead of a hat is the fact that people believe in it. They respect it. They see it as a symbol of authority."

"Okay. If you say so."

"The fact that they kicked me out of my room means that they didn't _respect_ me, Mako. It's not about the room. Well, some of it is about the room, I pay a lot of yuan for that room and they are going to hear about it from me later, you can believe me on that." 

Based on the expression on Wu's face, Mako believed him. Someone was most likely going to lose their job over this one.

"But it means that they see Kuvira as being more of the monarch than me."

"Well, you aren't technically the monarch yet. Give it a few hours."

Wu was shaking his head at him. "You still don't get it, do you? They would have never dared do this to my great-aunt. Never dared to hold her coronation like this, with fold-up bleachers and not a badgermole in sight. Certainly never dared to kick her out of her hotel room, not that she ever stayed in one. They would have never _dared_."

"She was a pretty terrifying lady, your great-aunt. Seriously terrifying."

"Exactly," Wu whispered, looking down at the floor. "Exactly."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad you're not like her."

"I need to be more like her," Wu said, but Mako could tell he wasn't listening any longer. He started to pace again. "I don't want to. I don't want to." 

For the life of him he couldn’t figure what had gotten Wu so riled up. Riled up enough to drop all of the slang, even. It wasn’t like Wu had ever shown much interest in being the king; most of his conversations revolved around what he was wearing or the latest romance he’d read or a new nightclub he wanted to check out. Try as he might Mako couldn’t remember having a conversation with Wu where Wu had talked about actually ruling the Earth Kingdom. In fact, based on what Wu had said in the past, Mako had gotten the clear impression that Wu didn’t even like Ba Sing Se.

Suddenly Wu turned to face him. “If she thinks she can take my hotel room, she’ll think she can take anything.” His face was pinched with worry, an expression that was so at odds with his usual demeanor that Mako had no idea what to say in return. “I hope you are ready to really get to bodyguarding.” With that he went back to pacing, his footsteps lacking his earlier force, his hands clasped behind his back. Silently.

Mako just stood with his arms folded, watching Wu wear a groove into the marble floor.


	50. An Enervating Steam: A Bit Of Relaxation After Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako uses the steam room after a long day at work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was per request from aggressivelycalm. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> It references [Chapter 7](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4068133/chapters/10572192) of this collection.

Mako stretched his neck from side to side, wincing a little at the deep crunching noise it made. Two weeks of overtime on a high profile case had meant he'd been leaving early every morning and coming home late every night and doing nothing more than dropping into bed. He missed his kids, missed his husband, and hadn't had a second to himself to run through his firebending forms. He'd wrapped up the case that afternoon and still had to go and make nice with the president's brother-in-law, a pompous jerk whom Wu liked to refer to as _That Odious Social Climber_. Social climber was right. Mako'd gone by his house to return his wife's stolen jewelry (the lower rung Terra Triad member who'd stolen it had tried to fence it to Mako's partner Chiyo, who was working undercover) and the guy had tried to smarm his way into an invitation to Wu's next party.

He'd come home, showered, tossed all three kids onto the living room floor to wrestle with them for awhile before helping Naoki with her math homework. He was exhausted and keyed up; never a good combination. After the kids had gone to bed he'd gone down the basement and put himself through his bending forms, trying to loosen up tense muscles and clear his brain. 

He yanked his undershirt off and tossed it into the hamper next to the steam room. The rest of his clothes followed. He'd fired up the steam room before he started his forms; it was ready for him and he stepped inside, quickly shutting the door behind him. With a sigh he made his way to one of the long benches and laid down. The wood underneath him was so hot as to be nearly unbearable; Wu always point blank refused to sit on it without a towel but he loved the burn of it on his skin.

"Fuck," he said, to no one in particular. He hated these damn cases. Song, the new police chief, kept putting him on cases where he was required to rub shoulders and elbows with the City's so-called finest. _Who else am I going to have do it?_ Song had asked him, shrugging. _None of the rest of us here have any experience with these kinds of people._  Mako banged a fist into the bench. That's all he needed, to be the designated Departmental Ass Kisser. He and Chiyo had always worked in the seedier districts but it had been changing more and more lately. _I can't help it, Mako,_ Song had said. _People know who you are nowadays. Yours is a recognizable face. Chiyo can still pass there but I can't send the husband of Wu Hou-Ting dockside and expect him not to get recognized. I know you grew up there. I know you can pass, accent and all. But you're in the damn papers on a fairly regular basis. What do you want me to do?_

Chiyo wasn't any happier about it than he was, and Mako was afraid she was going to ask for a transfer to a new partner. He wouldn't hold it against her if she did but she'd been his partner for years now and he both trusted and liked her. She'd had his back, every single time. Losing her would feel like a hard kick to the balls. The pisser of the thing was that Mako wasn't any better now at kissing ass than he had ever been. He might rub shoulders and elbows with these people but he was no Wu, charming the pants off of them and playing their rich people intimidation games with finesse. He knew the only reason he got away with it was because of his connection to Wu and his own pretty face. 

Not for the first time he cursed his own good looks. Most people would kill to look like he did; in Mako's experience, however, most people never looked past his face to see the person beyond. He hadn't minded when he was twenty but twenty was thirteen years and an entirely different life ago. All he wanted to be was a good cop, a cop that mattered, a cop that made a difference. Tracking down heavily insured jewelry for a rich woman who had no sentimental attachment to her baubles was not his fucking idea of making a difference, that was for damn sure. 

The door to the steam room creaked open and quickly shut. 

"I can't see a thing without my spectacles," Wu said. "Shall I grope around blindly for you or will you tell me where you are? Although I can still grope if you'd like."

Mako smiled. "I'm over here." He sat up and leaned forward, putting his hand out to take Wu's hand in his, guiding him over. Wu promptly sat down in his lap and Mako's arms automatically went around him. So thin, as always. Mako nuzzled into his neck and Wu laughed.

"My goodness, what a lovely reception. You aren't going to dump me on the floor this time, are you?"

Mako bit at one of Wu's earlobes, enjoying Wu's automatic shudder. "You surprised me the last time. You were a sneaky little shit back in those days, you know. Any excuse to get your hands on me."

Wu laughed. "I keep telling you, that time was an accident!"

"Suuuuuuure it was. What about the time you so-called tripped trying to get into the car and knocked me flat? You landed right on top of me."

"Oh, that one was on purpose, of course. When have you known me to be clumsy?"

"Or the time you _accidentally_ bumped into me at that gallery opening and put your hands on my ass?"

"Can you blame me? I was seventeen. I had been dying to get my hands on any part of you, really. And there it was, bending over, fabric stretched in the most enticing way." Wu sighed melodramatically. "I'm not sure what else you expected me to do about it."

Mako shook a little with his quiet laughter, Wu bouncing a bit in his lap. "You weren't exactly subtle."

"Have some pity! I was in daily torment! It was much easier when I had old and ugly bodyguards. And I can assure you I never had a lustful thought about Yumi."

"And I'm supposed to believe that it was an accident that you lost your towel and sat in my lap, hmm?"

"Mako. My love. Do you really think at that juncture in time I would have willingly exposed my hair in its natural state to you?"

Mako thought on this for moment. "Huh. Good point."

"Naturally once I was actually _on_ your lap I was compelled to wriggle a bit."

"Naturally." Mako suckled at an earlobe and Wu shivered.

"If you had done this to me back then you might have precipitated my demise, I'll just have you know."

"Mmmhmm. What if I had done this?" Mako's hand slid over Wu's thigh and found what it was looking for, giving it a lingering caress.

Wu's breath caught. "Definitely would have killed me. My teenage brain would have exploded on the spot." His laugh was a little shaky. "I hate to be the one who points out the obvious, but I'm not a firebender and you've got this turned up to Mako temperatures. I don't think it would be a great idea for me health-wise to get any hotter than I already am."

Mako didn't answer, just laid himself back down on the bench, easily maneuvering Wu to lay on top of him. "Stay with me for awhile? Just until I get my neck muscles relaxed?"

Wu laughed into his collarbone. "So this position actually relaxes you? Interesting."

Mako held him close. "Not really. Or can't you tell?"

"Oh, I can tell."

"Just five minutes? I'll make it worth your while, I promise. You know I'm good for it."

Wu nestled his ship's prow of a nose into his neck. Spirits but Mako loved that nose; loved the frizz of curls that were springing up all over Wu's head despite the pomade. "I know you are."

Mako took in a deep lungful of steam, Wu rising and falling along with his chest. "Song gave me the day off tomorrow."

"Did he now? Well. I had a meeting tomorrow but I can beg off."

"Maybe we can pull Naoki out of school for a day? Get LoLo to throw us together a picnic, maybe drive down the coast a bit? It's not warm enough for swimming or surfing but we can let the kids roam the beach for awhile. What do you say?"

"I say that I wholeheartedly approve," Wu said softly. He was smiling; Mako could hear it in his voice. On impulse he brought his hands up to cup Wu's head, pulling his mouth to his. He kissed him; a little desperately, perhaps, but Wu knew better than to say anything about it. He would later, Mako knew; Wu wasn't one to ignore when he was feeling stressed or low. Wu always knew it, no matter how Mako tried to hide it. But for now he relaxed himself into the kiss, fingers tangling in Wu's curls. Oh, but Wu felt good, the way he always did. He could smell the jasmine scent that Wu always used and the softness of Wu's pampered skin against his own body had its usual effect on him.

He pulled Wu away. "Fuck it. I don't want to wait." He sat up, easily swinging Wu into his arms before standing up. "I can come back tomorrow."

Wu laughed up at him through the haze of steam. "What, no more relaxing?"

"I can relax when I'm done with you," Mako answered. "I'd haul you upstairs like this but I guess we'd best put on robes."

"Alas! The practicalities of living in a house full of people. Also, as unromantic as it may be, I do need my spectacles."

Mako put him down gently. "Well, get your glasses and your robe and be quick about it before I change my mind and do you on the training room floor."

Wu laughed as he opened the door and stepped out of the steam room, his hair in a chaotic halo about his head. "I always obey my bodyguard, of course."

"You never obeyed anyone a damn day in your life," Mako said, and he remembered to toggle off the steam room before grabbing a robe and following his husband up the stairs.


	51. A Sizzling Escape: A Holiday on Ember Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin and LoLo take a vacation on Ember Island.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place directly after LoLo finished his treatment with Kya for his bad knee.
> 
> This is a little gift for a very pregnant amiraelizabeth, who wanted to read some Lin fanfic. Anything for the mother-to-be!

"I don't know about you, old girl, but I'm not moving from this hammock." LoLo wiggled his bare toes in appreciation. "You could come on over and lay in it with me."

Lin sniffed. "The last thing I need is for my old ass to get stuck halfway inside of the damn thing. I never could see the appeal." She hung up her traveling tunic and trousers and pulled on a loose cotton shift in a pale jade color. Her feet were bare as well. "Wu says that if you call the front desk they'll bring you drinks. They've got to have some whiskey here, don't they? Swanky place like this."

"Come on, lay here with me. You can see the ocean beneath you."

"I can see the ocean beneath me as it is. What are the chances someone's going to swim underneath this thing and try to take a look up my dress?" Lin scowled down at the floor of the bungalow. "How safe can it be to walk around on a glass floor anyhow?"

LoLo ignored her to take a sip of a tall drink, liberally infused with fruit and a small umbrella. "You know, this drink's not half bad."

"You're going to get sunburned if you lay out there in nothing but your shorts."

"Lin. I'm Fire Nation. I'm not going to sunburn. You're the one that has to keep that porcelain skin of yours in the shade." He glanced her way and produced his dimple. "Come on. I'll move the sunshade for you. Come and lay with me. Take off the dress, while you're at it." He winked at her.

"Hmph. I told you, I don't do hammocks." She wandered around the bungalow, picking things up and glaring at them. "Aren't we going to get cold at night without a wall there?"

"Fire Nation," was LoLo's only reply. He took another long drink. "It's not the rainy season. It's not going to get any colder at night." 

"How's your knee?"

"The knee is just fine. Kya cleared me. Now come on, get over here and give a man some sugar."

"I don't suppose we can trust the plumbing in this place, can we? We probably should have stayed in the hotel itself." She went into the bathroom; LoLo heard the sink turn on and the toilet flush. He took another pull off his drink before setting it to the side and undoing the clasp that held his hair back, sitting up a little in the hammock to rub at his scalp and arrange his hair so that it wouldn't get caught under his shoulder blades as he laid back down. 

"I could get used to this," he murmured, smiling, taking up his drink again.

"Well, at least there's decent water pressure in the shower," Lin called from the bathroom and he laughed a little. Lin came back out and glared at him. "What's so funny?"

"You are. Come here." He held an arm out to her, and finished with her inspection, she condescended to come to him, like he knew she would. He scooted over in the hammock and held it steady with his leg as she perched rather gingerly on it. Spirits but it was good to be able to use his leg without any pain in his knee. Bumi had told him that his sister was considered one of the best in the world; for once, he wasn't exaggerating. She really was. He smiled at Lin and handed her her own drink. "Give it a try. Fruity, but pretty good."

Lin ignored the straw to take a gulp. "Huh." Another gulp. "It's okay, I guess. For a fruity thing." She swallowed down half the glass in one go before nodding at his knee, her voice gentling like it did when she was alone with him. "You'll tell me if there's trouble, won't you?" 

"Gave you my word I would, old girl. But it's fine." He flexed the leg for her. "There's no pain at all. I can hardly believe it's the same knee, quite frankly."

Lin reached over to put her hand on it. "No swelling, either. And cool to the touch." She smiled at him. "Worth the three months of you whining on about having to be in the pushchair?"

He laughed. "I'd like to see you sit in a pushchair for three months and not whine about it. You wouldn't make it for three days."

"Probably not." She brushed her fingers through his loose hair. "You'll follow Kya's orders and take it easy, though, right?"

"That's why we're here. I'm not to do anything but relax for two weeks." He kissed her. "I can do that. I've got a hammock, drinks and my girl. What else does a man need?"

Lin tossed down the rest of her drink before putting the glass aside and resting her head on his chest. She entwined her fingers with his, closing her eyes. LoLo reached up with his spare hand and adjusted the sunshade a bit, making sure she'd have some cover. He knew she'd burn in a Republic City minute if she was in direct sunlight like that. "I've never been here before," she said quietly, once he'd settled back down. "I've been to the Imperial City, of course. With you, but when I was younger as well. The summer I was twelve my mother sent Su and me to visit. Izumi was already a grown woman and didn't have much use for us, although she was always kind. But I remember Zuko spending a lot of time with us. I think he really enjoyed us, despite the fact that Su tore that palace apart." She huffed a breath of a laugh. "She got it into her head that she wanted to make mud pies, which in Su's case meant she bent up an entire courtyard."

LoLo shifted and grinned down at her. "That was your sister? I remember that, believe it or not!"

Lin opened her eyes and smiled. "Do you? Really?"

LoLo nodded. "Sure. I turned four that summer. I think it took awhile to get it all put back together, it's not like we had any earthbenders sitting around. I remember going out there to look at it and my mother telling me not to go and play there." He laughed. "Oh, your sister's going to hear about it from me the next time we go to Zaofu!" He settled back down and repositioned Lin's head on his chest. "Well, think of that. There you were, in the same place as me."

"I never even thought about it before. I should have made the connection earlier."

"I bet I would have been in love with you even then. You were probably a cute twelve year old."

"I wasn't, believe me." Lin snorted. "I was tall and big-boned and awkward even at twelve. Su was the one everyone adored. She always was cute as a button."

LoLo shrugged. "I always did think those kind of women were overrated. Give me a strong woman with a mind of her own any time."

"Good thing. I don't think I could be cute. Even for you."

"Wouldn't want it, old girl. I like you just the way you came to me."

"Sentimental fool."

LoLo smiled, watching the sun starting to sink down in the sky. "Sentimental for you, you bet." He kissed the top of her head, pulling back her coarse curls with his free hand. "I do love you, Lin Beifong. There's nowhere in the world I'd rather be than here with you."

She didn't answer, but her fingers tightened in his. 

 


	52. A Nighttime Rendezvous: Wu And Yin Have Some Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A middle of the night meeting with tea.
> 
> This takes place immediately after Wu's kidnapping in Book 4.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written for Day One of the 2016 Wuko Weekend challenge on Tumblr.

After twenty minutes of closing her eyes resolutely and trying to will herself back to sleep, Yin sat up with a small sigh. She eased herself out of bed and reached for her wrapper, tying it around herself, tugging her long braid to one side. There were many things about getting old that she didn’t enjoy, and insomnia was certainly one of them. Well. Nothing for it. May as well make herself a cup of tea while she was up. It wasn’t like she’d be getting back to sleep any time soon anyhow.

She crept down the hallway silently. The usual night noises were present; Chow snoring away next to LiLing; the whimpering of Chin’s newborn, quickly put to the breast. Yin had worried for a time that Miss Sato would want them to leave and then where would they go? But Mako had told her more than once that Miss Sato was happy to let them stay as long as they wanted. It had been nearly three years now. Not all of them were still here, of course. Lan had married a Republic City man last year and had moved out and Min and Ting had taken the children and gone back to Ba Sing Se. But most of them had stayed put.

Yin peered down the hallway and frowned. Someone had left the lights on in the kitchen again. How many times had she told them they couldn’t leave the lights burning? If it was Tu she was going to have his head. She shuffled into the kitchen and swallowed her own gasp of surprise. It was Prince Wu, dressed in silk pajamas and a matching dressing gown, trying to make tea. Or at least that’s what Yin thought he was doing. He was frowning at the teapot, the tin of loose tea in his hand.

“Do you need some help, Your Highness?”

He jumped and nearly dropped the tin. “Ah! Well! You surprised me.” He smiled at her. “You know, I think I might. I’ve never made tea before. I thought it would intuitive but it turns out I’m a complete dolt.” He brandished the tin at her.

“If you’d take a seat, Your Highness, I’d be happy to make you some tea.” 

“Oh thank you, Grandma Mako.” He laughed as he handed over the tin. “I beg your pardon. I know that’s not your name. I met so many people today that my head is chock full of names. It might take me some time to get them all straight.”

“It’s Yin, Your Highness.” She filled the kettle and set it on the stove, swapping out the tin of oolong the prince had been holding for one that was full of the herbal blend LiLing had made for her to help her sleep. “And it’s true, there’s an awful lot of us.”

“Grandma Yin, then.” He sat down on one of the stools in the kitchen. “Mako tells me that your family are refugees from Ba Sing Se?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“You could just call me Wu.”

She turned her head to smile at him gently. “I really couldn’t, Your Highness.”

The smile slid off of his face. “Ah. Well. Whatever makes you comfortable, of course.” He picked at imaginary dust on his dressing gown. As soon as they’d arrived Mako had called the hotel and had made the arrangements to have their things delivered to the house. A car had appeared an hour or two later, all of their belongings neatly packed. First class people got first class treatment, she supposed. “This is a pretty posh place out here. I had no idea Asami Sato even had this place. Not that I know her very well or anything. But she’s quite the looker, and even smarter besides. Fixed up the train station, you know. We could sure use that kind of thing in Ba Sing Se, couldn’t we?” His voice trailed off for a moment. “Well. I guess that’s what Kuvira’s been busy doing, huh?” 

Yin sniffed. “It’s not her place, Your Highness.” She poured the boiling water over the leaves and went to fetch a tea cup.

“I should say it isn’t! She’s not a very friendly lady, believe you me! Grandma, you only fetched one cup. Don’t you want any tea?” 

“Oh, that’s quite all right, Your Highness.”

He smiled very slightly and gave her a slow nod of his head. “Please have some tea with me, Yin. It would be my honor.” His voice was soft; if Yin hadn’t known better, she might have said the prince was being hesitant. Imagine, a prince being hesitant with someone like her! Nodding at her like she was some lady of the court!

“Well, if you insist, Your Highness.” She took another cup from the cupboard.

“I do insist! Why, it’s almost like we’re having our own little tea party here. Midnight tea party, as it were.” His fingers were restless, plucking at his dressing gown, roaming across the counter in front of him. She was surprised that he wore no jewelry. She’d always just assumed that royals wore plenty of jewels. In fact, outside of his clothes - which were clearly custom made and of the best quality - he might have just been any other young man. Very polite, he was, very well-spoken. He’d asked a lot of questions as Chow had taken him around the house to show him where things were, but none of them were particularly imperious. She still couldn’t believe that Mako referred to him by his first name, however. She’d nearly come over faint again that evening when she’d heard Mako speak to him in the same demanding tone he usually used with Bolin. Scandalized, she’d tried to correct him, but Mako had sighed.  _ It’s what he wants me to call him, Grandma. He’s my boss. Do you want me to obey him or not? You can’t have it both ways. _ Which was true, she had to grant. She supposed that if Mako was under orders by the prince to call him by his given name that Mako had to obey. It left her deeply uncomfortable, nevertheless. A prince was a prince, after all, something that Mako, with his unruly Republic City ways, didn’t seem to fully comprehend. 

She poured the tea into both cups. “Do you take anything in your tea, Your Highness?”

“Oh. No, I just take it black. Mako doesn’t, you know, he likes milk and sugar. Well. I suppose you’d know that, being his grandma and all. That’s the sort of thing grandmas know, right? I never knew any of mine, all of my grandparents died before I was born. There was my great-aunt, of course, but she wasn’t...uh...well. She wasn’t really the grandmother-type, you see.” He made a slight grimace before taking a cautious sip of his tea. “This is very good, thank you.”

Yin stirred some sugar into her own tea. It was a lower class thing to do, to add things into your tea. The tea they had here at Miss Sato’s house was of high quality; there was certainly no need to mask the taste of it, not like they’d had to do back in Ba Sing Se. It was a habit, that’s all. She gave a quick glance the prince’s way. He looked tired; there were smudges under his eyes and his shoulders were drooping. Not that she had any right to judge a Hou-Ting, of course! But still, one couldn’t help noticing if a body were only a foot away, right?

Imagine, just imagine, what the other women in the old neighborhood would say if they knew that she, Yin, was making tea for the crown prince! They’d never believe her if she told them. When Mako had originally told her about his new job she’d been beside herself. Her grandson, her Mako, working for the prince like that! He didn’t seem to appreciate the honor, however. In fact, a few months back she’d overheard him complaining to Chow Junior about how much he disliked the job, how he wanted to go back to his work as a regular detective. She’d been shocked, of course. She’d scolded him, reminded him that this was a prince he was working for, after all. He had told her that they didn’t recognize royalty like that in Republic City.

Not that his attitude was so unfamiliar, of course. Hadn’t her San argued the same thing with his father? Round and round the two of them had gone, San and Bohai, San claiming that the ring system in Ba Sing Se was archaic and wrong. He’d talked about Republic City, about how anyone there could make a new start, how even people from the streets could make something of themselves. Bohai wasn’t having it, of course; he wanted San to stay home and help run the fruit stand.  _ Stick to what you know, son _ , Bohai had said, but it just wasn’t in San’s nature. When San had run off she’d been devastated, but not surprised. Most of the family who had known San talked about Bolin and how much he resembled his father, what with his looks and his warm and friendly personality. But Yin, she saw San’s drive and determination in his oldest boy.

The prince had hardly touched his tea, she saw. “Can I get Your Highness anything else?” she asked. “Are you hungry?”

He smiled. “Oh, I’m just fine. I ate so much at dinner I thought I would pop. You’re a very good cook, Grandma.”

Yin frowned, just slightly. She’d noticed at dinner that the prince hardly ate anything. She wasn’t the only one, either; LiLing had remarked on it as well. She might have thought he was turning up his nose at her food - not that she’d blame him, of course, after all, he’d had the best chefs in the world preparing his meals - but he was so enthusiastic, asking what was in the dishes and praising everything on his plate. She’d taken Mako aside and asked him and Mako had told her that the prince rarely ate much. She’d have to do something about that. Not that she would ever say anything, of course, but he was awfully thin. He could use a little extra meat on his bones. 

Meat on his bones! Well, would you listen to her! Speculating about the prince like that! Why, most likely he’d want to hire his own chef for his meals. He’d eaten with the family that evening but Yin couldn’t imagine he’d want to continue doing so. After all, he was royalty. He was the one that belonged in a grand estate like this, not her family.

“Your sticky dumplings were really delicious, you know. Best I’ve ever had. And that’s saying something, because dumplings are my favorite.” He smiled a real smile at her this time, his mouth curving up and his eyes sparkling.

“Oh, Your Highness!” She felt herself blushing, like a starstruck girl. “Get along with you.”

“I mean it, Grandma. You can ask Mako if you don’t believe me. He knows how much I like dumplings. Sometimes,” and here he leaned closer to her, “He has to yell at me to eat something else because all I want to eat are dumplings.”

Yin let out a little involuntary gasp. “Your Highness! Mako has no right to say those things!” Yelling at the prince! Oh, she’d show that boy some yelling! It was one thing to call the prince by his given name if ordered; it was quite another to take it upon himself to tell the prince what to eat!

The prince laughed. “Oh Grandma, I hate to break it to you, but Mako yells at me all the _ time _ .” Here he sat up straight and scowled, drawing his eyebrows together and deepening his voice a bit. “Wu! Come back here! Wu! Stop singing before you break everyone’s eardrums! Wu! Quit posing for photographs and come on, we’re late!”

A part of Yin knew she should close her mouth, but she just couldn’t do it. The shame of it! On the entire family! Why if they had been back in Ba Sing Se Mako would have been thrown in prison for his disrespect and impertinence and the rest of the family just might have been as well. She knew things were different in Republic City, but this was too much. Too much. 

“He even told me that I would make a lousy king.” The prince sighed. “He’s right, of course. I  _ would _ make a lousy king.”

Yin couldn’t contain herself any longer. “Your Highness! I don’t know what my grandson was thinking, speaking to you in such a way. Please accept my apologies. Perhaps it would be better if you got a new bodyguard, one who would respect your royal person!”

The prince reached over and patted Yin’s hand absently. “Oh, don’t fret, Grandma. He was right to tell me that. It’s true, all of it. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about it, too. Besides, he does respect my royal person. In his own Mako way. He’s a very good bodyguard.”

“Not good enough to keep you from getting kidnapped today!” As soon as the words were out of her mouth Yin regretted them. The prince hunched over, wrapping his arms around himself, eyes downcast.

“Oh. Well. I’m sure it was just an accident. I mean, what are the chances, right? It’s the first time he ever left me alone, you know.” The prince shrugged, a miserable lift of his shoulders. “It was only to the bathroom, I guess he thought I’d be safe there. I thought he’d be following me even though he told me to go alone but...well. His friends were there, so I guess he really wanted to spend time with them. I know he hasn’t seen the Avatar in a long time. I’m sure he just wanted to get caught up.” He glanced up at Yin. “He didn’t want me to come to lunch. I wanted to meet the Avatar, though, so I insisted. If I had stayed home like he told me to none of this would have happened, right?”

“If he’d been doing his job properly and keeping watch over you then none of this would have happened!” Yin was furious. Mako had told them all that the prince had been kidnapped and that the Avatar and Miss Sato had helped rescue him. He hadn’t shared, however, that it had come about due to his own negligence.

“I just wanted to meet the Avatar,” the prince whispered, his arms tightening around himself. “I think he was embarrassed to be there with me, with his friends. He thinks I don’t notice, but I do. And I woke up in that box and it was so dark and I was so scared and I’m not as dumb as everyone thinks I am, I know that if Kuvira got her hands on me she’d kill me.” His voice hitched and wobbled. “And then the Avatar threw me off the train and I just wanted someone - anyone - to make me feel better and she put her hand right in my face and shoved me away and Mako…” He broke into sobs. “Mako didn’t even say anything, he didn’t even care that she did that. He didn’t care that I was kidnapped and he didn’t care that the Avatar did any of those things.” He swayed back and forth, hands clutching at his ribcage, keening, tears and snot cascading down his face.

Yin stood there for just the briefest of moments, uncertain of what to do. This was her prince, after all. His royal body was sacrosanct by law. It was not for her, a peasant, a former resident of the Lower Ring, to do anything.

On the other hand, he was just a boy. A frightened boy, a lost and lonely boy, a refugee just like she was, but without family or friends. And before she could think twice, before she could stop herself, she reached out and gathered the Crown Prince of the Earth Kingdom into her arms and held him close, one hand gently rubbing at the back of his neck.

“There, there,” she murmured, much like she had done for her own boys, back in the day. “Why you just cry all of those bad feelings right on out of you. That’s the way, now.”

He continued to sob into her, eventually resting his head on her shoulder, his arms creeping around her body. Why he  _ was _ nothing but bones, this child. So slight. So fragile. She kept her arms around him, murmuring encouragement until his sobs abated into shuddering gasps. He held on to her, though, and she let him.

She opened her eyes, still rubbing at his neck. She caught a flash of movement in the polished chrome of the icebox and she peered at it. In its reflection she could see Mako standing just outside the door, frozen in a puddle of light spilling out from the kitchen. There he stood, his hands clenched into tight fists, his head hanging, his face grim. There was color burning high up on his cheekbones. How long had he been standing there?

“I’m sorry, Grandma,” the prince said into her shoulder, his breath hitching in and out. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“Well, you’ve had quite the day, Your Highness,” she replied, still watching Mako’s reflection. “It’s understandable. Better to just get all of that out. Why, those kinds of things can act like a poison if you keep them locked inside. You’ve no need to apologize to me.”

“No one has hugged me since my nanny left. I was five,” he said. “I think I forgot what hugs felt like.”

Mako’s head jerked up at that. His mouth creased down into a frown.

“That’s simply too many years to go without hugs,” Yin said. This poor boy. Her heart ached. “I’d say you were overdue.”

He raised his head to look at her. His eyes were red and puffy, his cheeks streaked and blotchy. “Oh Grandma, I’m sorry. I made a mess of you.”

“Now you don’t worry for one single moment more about that.” She patted his cheek very gently. “You aren’t the first to cry on me and I suppose you won’t be the last, either.”

He gave her a tremulous smile. “Just like everyone else then, hmmm?”

“Just like,” she said, and she realized she meant it.

He reached up with a sleeve to blot at his eyes and then yawned, wide enough to cause his jaw to crack. His eyes widened and he belatedly covered his mouth. “I beg your pardon,” he said, and Yin found herself smiling.

“It seems as if someone is feeling a little tired now, Your Highness.”

He nodded. “I think I might try going back to bed.”

“I think that’s a fine idea. You get some sleep and in the morning you’ll feel better. You’ll see.”

He nodded and took a step away from her before turning back. “Thank you, Grandma. I’m very grateful.” He smiled at her again, that beautiful smile, his long lashes still spiky with his tears. “You can hug me any time. If you like, I mean. I give you permission.”

She smiled back at him. “Well then, Your Highness, I look forward to more hugs in the future.” He stepped quickly towards her and enfolded her into a quick embrace before softly pressing a kiss onto her cheek. 

“Goodnight, Grandma.” With that he stepped away from her and walked towards the door. Her hand went automatically up to her cheek. Had he really just kissed her? Her? Yin? Wonders would never cease.

Just as he approached the door Mako stepped fully into the light. He was wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and nothing else, and Yin made a mental note to scold him over it later. Especially as she caught the way the prince’s eyes took in Mako’s bare chest, his cheeks flushing slightly pink even through the remnants of his tears.

“There you are,” Mako said. He had his arms crossed over his chest and an irritated look on his face. “Don’t you know you aren’t supposed to be wandering off without me?”

“Oh. Well, I couldn’t sleep and I thought I’d get some tea.”

“Since when do you know how to make tea?” Mako raised one eyebrow.

“Mako! I’m full of little surprises!” He turned back to Yin and dropped a wink. Yin was so surprised she almost dropped the tea cup she was collecting. “Isn’t that right, Grandma?”

She found herself smiling. “It certainly is, Your Highness.”

“Hmph,” Mako said. “Whatever. Come on. I’m tired and you’re keeping me up.”

“Sure thing, big guy. See, this is me! Coming on!” Wu smiled happily up at Mako, who jerked his thumb towards the door. “Walking right along, Mako!” He exited the kitchen, still talking.

“Shhhhh!” Mako hissed. “People are sleeping!”

“Sorry,” the prince called softly from the hallway. Mako turned to look at his grandmother.

“Thanks. For giving him some tea.”

Yin pointed her finger at him. “You be nice to His Highness,” she said, startling herself with the fierceness in her tone. “I mean it, Mako.” Her chin went up. “He’s a good boy. And you did him wrong today.”

“I know I did,” Mako mumbled, so low she could hardly hear him. He looked away from her. “I know it.” He opened his mouth to say something else but was interrupted by the prince calling that he couldn’t remember how to get back to their room. “Night, Grandma,” he said, and made his way out the door, following the prince.

Yin slowly collected their cups and the teapot, taking them to the sink. “My goodness,” she said, and her hand crept up again to cover the cheek where he’d impulsively kissed her.


	53. A Discordant Sojourn: Visiting The Republic City Zoo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prince Wu and his bodyguard visit the zoo.
> 
> Set prior to Book 4.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written for Day Two of the 2016 Wuko Weekend challenge on Tumblr.

Ji-Kyu grinned as Ling Ling chuffed a welcome into his ear, nearly knocking him over. “Steady there, girl,” he said, getting a better grip on his wheelbarrow. “Breakfast is coming.” He whistled as he pushed the wheelbarrow along, Yang Yang raising her head from across the compound and twitching her whiskers as she felt the vibrations of the wheel on the dirt. “That’s right, breakfast time!”

Ling Ling followed him across the enclosure, her claws digging slight grooves into the earth. Never missed a meal, that girl. Not picky either, she’d happily eat whatever was given to her. Yang Yang was far more particular about what she would or would not eat, often turning up her nose at imagined culinary slights. Well, she’d be happy this morning, they’d gotten in some fresh wolfbat.

He upended the wheelbarrow, neatly dodging out of Ling Ling’s way. “Give me a minute!” He shook his head in mock censure and started to make his way back to the edge of the enclosure. “Come on, Yang Yang! Wolfbat for you this morning!” 

He’d been at this job for thirty years now. Not all of it with the badgermoles, of course; he’d started out doing scut work, cleaning up droppings and washing down walls, that sort of thing. Eventually, as time went on, he started to work with the animals themselves. When Ling Ling and Yang Yang arrived, twenty years ago, they’d taken a liking to him and the head zookeeper had promoted him on the spot.

Sometimes he figured he was the happiest man on earth. He loved his job. The badgermoles had been young when they first arrived; littermates not even a year old, still vulnerable, rescued from some rich man’s private reserve, their mother killed just so the man could get his hands on the babies. Figured he’d tame them or something, Ji-Kyu supposed. Stupid. Oh, he had a good working relationship with them - better than he had with any humans, that’s for sure - but he never forgot they were wild beasts and predators besides. Earthbenders, which is why their expansive enclosure was solid metal, covered by a deep layer of rock and dirt. The girls enjoyed digging up the earth, snuffling it around and building themselves tunnels. Sometimes the guests at the zoo would complain that the girls had tunneled themselves in and wouldn’t come out for anyone’s viewing pleasure but they weren’t circus animals, performing tricks to amuse their viewers. They did as they pleased.

He opened the small gate that led to the zookeeper’s area and pushed the wheelbarrow through, closing it behind him. The girls were both happily chewing away. He took off his thick leather gloves and used a kerchief to wipe away the sweat. This hot, this early? It was going to be a scorcher, no doubt about it.

Squinting, he looked down the path, watching as two people walked towards the enclosure. The zoo wasn’t open for another two hours and he could already tell by what they were wearing that they weren’t zoo employees. Trustees, maybe? As the figures drew closer they resolved themselves into Prince Wu and his bodyguard. Mazo? Migo? Something like that. Guy always looked like he’d rather set you on fire than say hello. Former pro-bender. Never smiled.

“Good morning, Ji-Kyu,” Prince Wu called out cheerfully as they got closer, waving his hand. He was sporting a top hat and twirling a cane, his face all smiles. “Are we interrupting their breakfast?”

“No, I’ve already served it. They got some fresh wolfbat this morning.”

“Oh, Yang Yang will be pleased.” The prince beamed. He was a funny little guy, no mistake, but Ji-Kyu liked him. Always polite, he was, and he’d never once tried to tell Ji-Kyu how to do his job, which was a change from how most of the other big donors were. It never failed - people donated yuan to the zoo and suddenly they knew more about caring for the animals than the keepers themselves. The prince kept his opinions to himself, though; if anything, he was very respectful, asking a lot of questions about the care of the beasts and actually listening to the answers, that sort of thing. 

“Yeah, she’s not turning up her snout at wolfbat.” Ji-Kyu took up a bucket and started to rinse down the wheelbarrow. He knew from past experience that the prince would let him do his job in peace.

The prince stood watching the badgermoles, still smiling. His bodyguard stood next to him, his hands on his hips. He really was an intimidating looking guy. Plus you never could tell with those firebenders. Touchy sort, in his experience. The prince was chattering on about some appointment he had, but Ji-Kyu wasn’t really listening. You wouldn’t think, based on the expression the bodyguard had, that he was listening either, but there you’d be wrong. He did answer the prince, every once in awhile.

“Well, good morning, ladies!” The prince stepped forward to the edge of the enclosure. He was rocking back and forth on his toes, grinning at the badgermoles, both of whom, after finishing their breakfast, had shuffled to the fence closest to the prince. “You are both looking lovely today!”

_ Ladies fair _

_ Time to spare _

_ Without a single care _

The prince started singing to them, his pitch sliding up and down like a man trying to run on ice. Nice man, but a damn awful singer. Couldn’t carry a tune in a tsungi horn, as Ji-Kyu’s grandfather used to say. Didn’t matter. The badgermoles, for some reason he never could understand, were head over heels for him. Both of them sat up, front paws dangling in front of them, snouts quivering, swaying back and forth. He’d never seen anything like it in all his years of caring for the animals. Oh, they liked music, sure enough. But this? It was like some kind of magic. A few times, late at night when everyone else had gone home, he’d tried to sing to them the same words that the prince sang. Nothing. The badgermoles would listen, but that was as far as it went.

The bodyguard’s hand crept up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

_ Yang Yang my beauty _

_ And Ling Ling of the perfect paws _

_ The sun rises and sets on you both _

_ Rare loam flies from your dazzling snouts! _

The last word was a note that held for long seconds, off key and harsh. The bodyguard looked pained. “Wu!” he shouted, but the prince was on a roll, swirling his skinny body in circles, the badgermoles following him, their movements slow and stately compared to the prince’s frenetic spinning. The prince just laughed, the sound of it pealing across the enclosure. He suddenly grabbed the bodyguard’s hands off of his hips and spun him in a circle, the bodyguard nearly tipping over in his surprise. The prince whirled him around in an impromptu waltz, singing a series of discordant  _ la la la’s _ , the badgermoles keeping up on their side of the metal fence, feeling the vibrations through the stone. “Quit it!” the bodyguard demanded, and broke his hold before stepping away, tugging his jacket back into place. The prince simply danced off on his own, burbling something about the stars in the skies and the badgermoles’ stripes.

His bodyguard stared after him for a moment, watching the prince dip and sway; to Ji-Kyu’s eternal astonishment the man actually cracked a smile. The smile lingered for the briefest of moments as he shook his head slightly, looking for all the world like he might actually be fond of the little fellow. By the time the prince had turned back the smile was gone, however; the bodyguard was back to his usual stoic expression, resigned and vaguely irritated.

“Wu, you’re giving me a headache. Knock it off,” he said.

The prince just twirled on his tiptoes, however, and pointed to the badgermoles, both of whom were now on all fours, shuffling to and fro in perfect formation. He turned to Ji-Kyu, his expression hopeful. Ji-Kyu peered to one side of the enclosure.

“We’re alone here,” the bodyguard said, making eye contact with Ji-Kyu. Ji-Kyu nodded and motioned the prince over. The prince carefully handed his hat and cane to the bodyguard before running to the side of the enclosure where the zookeeper’s area was, Ji-Kyu opening the locked door with his key and swinging it open.

“Come on, then,” he said, and the prince stepped in. Ji-Kyu glanced over at the bodyguard, standing there, hat and cane in his hands. He nodded back. Ji-Kyu opened up the door leading to the enclosure. The prince stepped through, the badgermoles blindly shuffling over to sniff at him; Ling Ling slurping him one upside the head with her long tongue and Yang Yang pushing gently at him with her snout. He was crooning, reaching out with his hands to grab at both of them. He stood like that for several minutes, humming while he patted them, his face transfixed with joy. 

“Time’s up,” the bodyguard said, and the prince sighed mournfully.

“Just a quick one today, my beauties,” the prince said, resoundingly kissing both badgermoles on their snouts. “I can’t stay.” Another round of kisses and he stepped back, regretfully. “I’ll come next week for a much longer visit, I promise!” Back through the door he went, Ji-Kyu locking it behind him. The prince turned to Ji-Kyu and, hands placed precisely, gave a slight bow of his head. “Thank you.” Ji-Kyu gave an awkward little bow back.

“All right, you’ve had your visit, come on out of there,” the bodyguard clucked. “We’re late as it is.” He scanned the area around the enclosure again. “That’s all I need, someone coming down here asking me what the Prince of the Earth Kingdom is doing in there while I’m out here.”

“I told you, Mako!” The prince stepped out of the other door, walking towards his bodyguard. “It’s a Hou-Ting thing. They can’t help loving me.”

The bodyguard sighed, waving the hat until the prince took it and clapped it back on his head, tilting it at a jaunty angle. “We’re not getting into that again.”

“There’s nothing to get into. It’s just a simple fact. Hou-Tings have a way with badgermoles. It’s in our blood. If you don’t believe me, look it up.” He took the cane and twirled it expertly. “It’s a royal thing, you know.”

“Uh huh.” The bodyguard rolled his eyes so expressively that Ji-Kyu could see if from where he was.

“Doubt all you like, Mako. It’s still the truth!” The prince turned back towards the badgermoles.

_ Goodbye ladies sweet _

_ With your big old feet _

_ Next week we’ll repeat! _

The badgermoles nodded in time to his singing. The prince gave Ji-Kyu a friendly wave and a called, “Thank you again, see you next week,” before turning back and jogging quickly to match steps with his bodyguard.

“Can’t you come up with anything better than sweet and feet and repeat?”

“Well, I like that, Mako! Next time you can sing, then!”

“I’m not singing to the badgermoles, Wu.”

“You know what they say, Mako. The spirits hate a coward.”

“Just because I don’t want to make a public ass of myself doesn’t mean I’m a coward.”

Their voices faded off into the distance as they made their way towards the zoo entrance. Ji-Kyu looked over to the badgermoles, both of whom were drooping, heads turned unerringly towards where the prince was walking, now out of sight. “Don’t fret. He’ll be back, girls.” With a smile of his own he picked up the bucket to finish cleaning out his wheelbarrow.


	54. The Consequences of Heroism: Mako Receives Treatment For His Injuries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Mako's destruction of the spirit vine and the Colossus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day Three of the Wuko Weekend Challenge on Tumblr.

Someone was holding him up, their arm around his waist but his feet weren’t moving the right way and he tried to make them move but no, they wouldn’t obey they kept dragging and

_Korra help me he’s falling again_

and someone jostled him and the sound came a terrible sound a ferocious sound and then the pain arrived in slow motion and he thought he might scream but wait he was already screaming

_Don’t touch his hand_

it hurt so much and Mama said that you have to be careful, Mako, careful don’t burn yourself always make sure the flame obeys you and he wanted his mother where was his mother

_Mama_

_Mama’s not here Mako I’m sorry I’m sorry_

_We need a healer_

Korra was that Korra was she okay he couldn’t focus and his eyes wouldn’t obey him

_What happened here_

_He was hit by spirit vine energy I’m pretty sure I mean I wasn’t there well, I was there but not there there_

_Bolin_

_Yeah it’s me hey you’re going to be okay Mako hey I think he’s_

  


_We’re going to need to get his jacket off but part of it has melted into his flesh I need someone to help hold him down_

_I can help_

_Hold him tightly he’s watch out_

_Mako no don’t they’re trying to help you_

_He can’t control it_

_I can put out any flame he throws Bumi you come here and hold him down instead of me_

_Calm him down we need to calm him down_

_Someone go get Chief Beifong_

_Mako I know it hurts just hang in there okay I love you_

  


why does it hurt so much why won’t they stop it hurts it hurts oh Mama it hurts

Mama is there and she’s smiling at him, that quiet gentle smile Mako do you feel the fire do you feel it

_Mama I feel it_

Mama’s hand is on his brow and she’s smoothing the hair back from his forehead

_Mama_

_All right now just calm down Mako_

she’s not Mama her voice is different but he knows that voice that voice means trust that voice means safety not Mama but she’s closer to it than anyone else ever was and he sobs and her voice sounds all tight and funny

_Come on hang in there I’m right here Bolin is here too_

_Chief_

_Yes it’s me I’m right here_

he wanted to ask about Wu but the pain was too much too much

_I think he’s going to pass out_

_Let him it’s a_

  


the pain was there a deep throbbing and he didn’t feel right felt like being underwater he wanted to speak but his tongue felt thick and heavy and his eyelids were heavy too

_I think he’s coming around_

_Hey Mako it’s me Bolin and Korra is here too_

_Oooh_

_Just stay calm okay bro they gave you lots of poppy milk okay_

_Is he awake_

_Sort of_

_Mako look Chief Beifong is here she’s been here like me_

_Oooh_

_What’s he trying to say_

_Oooh I’m not sure what he means_

_Emma_

_What I can’t understand you bro_

_Quiet and let him speak_

_Peh...muh_

_Pema_

_Like Tenzin’s wife Pema_

_How many other Pemas do you know Bo_

_Mako she’s not here yet I don’t think but I’ll check right now you rest did either one of you numbnuts think to give him some water_

_Oh shit I’ll do that right now_

the water was cool and he drank but it took all his energy and he went back down

 

 

He opened his eyes and looked around. He was laying on something - a bed? - and there was a weight on him.

He hurt.

He didn’t know where he was.

Slowly, carefully, he turned his head to one side. There, propped up in a chair, was Bolin, sound asleep, mouth open, slightly snoring.

He thought about this for some time. He wasn’t sure where he was or why Bolin was there. He knew it should make more sense to him, but he couldn’t seem to think too clearly.

He turned his head to the other side. There were two other cots and two people laying in them. One of them he recognized as an airbender but her name wouldn’t come to him. He didn’t know the other man. He shifted and pain roared up his left hand and arm, bringing tears to his eyes. He struggled a little, trying to see, but the pain was too much and he put his head back down, panting.

An unfamiliar woman appeared over him.

“Ah, you’re awake. How’s the pain?”

He blinked. He wanted to answer her, but the words refused to come. She went out of eyesight for a moment but returned with a glass and a straw.

“Let’s give you some water. You’re in the hospital...well, close enough, anyhow. You’ve sustained severe burns to your left hand and arm.”

She maneuvered the straw into his mouth and he drank, some of the water spilling down his face and onto his shoulder. It was cool.

“The healer has given you some poppy milk to help with the pain, which is why you are probably having a hard time concentrating right now.” The woman smiled. “Your brother here hasn’t left your side. The Avatar had to drag him out of here just to get him to use the bathroom.”

“Bo…” his voice sounded all wrong.

“Yes, that’s right. The Avatar has gone for awhile, as has police chief Beifong. She was here with you as well. She said for me to tell you to rest and she’ll be back as soon as she can.”

“Bei...Beifong.”

“Yes.” The woman shook her head. “I thought she was going to tear Healer Saakap’s head off. She didn’t like seeing you in any pain, that’s for sure.”

“Hand?”

The woman frowned. “Well, we’ve got a burn specialist coming. She was evacuated but she’s been given first priority in coming back to the city. In fact, that’s where the Avatar went off to, to go and get her. She should be here very soon. Don’t worry. You rest now.”

“Wu?”

The woman looked confused for a moment. “Wu? Oh, do you mean Prince Wu? I don’t think he’s here.”

Mako’s breathing started to rasp in and out. “Pema?”

“I don’t...I’m sorry, I don’t know who that is.”

“Tenzin.”

“You mean Master Tenzin? He’s here, yes. He's got a few cracked ribs and is bruised from head to toe but he’s fine, I promise you.”

“Tenzin. Wife.”

The woman stared at him. “Oh! You mean Pema is Tenzin’s wife?”

“Uh.” Tears leaked out of his eyes. The pain in his hand and arm was like nothing he’d ever felt before.

“Okay, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll see if I can find this Pema if you promise me you’ll close your eyes and rest. Deal?”

Mako closed his eyes. He meant yes.

  


“Mako?”

There was a hand brushing at his cheek.

“Sometimes he sort of wakes up but then he doesn’t really.”

“Bolin, when’s the last time you ate?”

“Oh. Well. I’m not really sure? Asami had some food at her factory but it wasn’t much. I ate some Flamey-Os Instant Noodles but they don’t really satisfy, you know?”

“Well, they’ve managed to get some food here. Real food. Why don’t you go and get something to eat?”

“I don’t want to leave him.”

“I promise I’ll stay with him until you get back.”

“You will?” Bolin’s voice sounded so worried. Mako wanted to open his eyes but wanting wasn’t getting just like...someone said, but now he couldn’t remember who.

“I will. Go on now. Get something to eat and wash your hands and face. I’ll be right here when you get back.”

There was silence for a time. Eventually Mako’s eyes obeyed him and opened. Pema was sitting next to his cot, smiling down at him. Her robes were dirty and her hair was untidy. “Ah, there you are. We’ve been so worried about you.”

“Wu?” he croaked out.

Pema smiled and smoothed the covers back down over his chest. “He’s fine, Mako, he went to take the badgermoles back to the zoo.”

He lay there for a moment, trying to process this information - badgermoles? - and it was only eventually that he realized the sobbing he heard was coming from his own mouth.

Pema stared down at him for a moment before taking his uninjured hand in her own. “Ah, it’s like that, then?” she said softly, but he didn’t think she was speaking to him. He knew he should stop crying but he couldn’t seem to make himself. Pema patted his hand sympathetically before producing a handkerchief out of nowhere, wiping at his cheeks. “Oh, it _is_ like that then. Oh, Mako. He’s just fine, I promise. In fact, knowing Wu, as soon as he finds out you’re here he’ll make his way on over. It’s...well, it’s a big mess out there. But never you mind about that right now. Your job is to recover.”

He closed his eyes. He couldn’t stop crying. Wu was okay. He was not dead somewhere, killed by mecha or fire or falling rock or Kuvira or anything else. He felt something inside of him let go and that made him cry even harder. Wu was safe.

Pema kept wiping his tears away and saying soft things to him and eventually he drifted off again.

  


The burn specialist came and did things to him that hurt him so badly he screamed and screamed and they gave him more poppy milk and he fell down deep down down and down and down and

  


_Are you sure he’ll be all right_

_Well, his injuries are serious Your Highness but the healer is one of the best in the world for burns_

_Whatever he needs money is no object I’ll pay for it whatever he needs_

_Firelord Izumi is sending a ship with medical supplies Your Highness and the United Forces is also stepping in_

_Yes Izumi’s here already in fact I can’t stay President Raiko is waiting for me downstairs_

_We’ll take good care of him Your Highness_

Something very gentle pressed itself into his cheek and he wanted to open his eyes and say something to Wu but sleep was calling him back

  


He opened his eyes again. It was light. He was in a bed - a real bed this time, not just a cot - in a different place than where he was the last time he remembered waking. He blinked for a moment and then Bolin’s face was in his, smiling.

“Hey!”

“Hey yourself,” he replied, his voice hoarse. The pain in his hand and arm threatened to overwhelm him, so he made sure to keep his left side as still as possible.

“I have to tell you, brother of mine, you almost scared me right out of my shorts.” Bolin leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. “And I haven’t changed my shorts in like five days now.”

“TMI, Bo.” He found himself smiling, just a little. Bolin slid his arm under his head and put a straw to his lips.

“Drink up, brave brother of mine. Listen, I promised Beifong I’d go and get her when you woke up. Woke _up_ woke up I mean, not like that weird I’m really sleeping but my eyes are open creepy thing you’ve been doing the past few days. Are you actually awake?”

He tongued the straw out of the way. “Yeah. Can I sit up?”

Bolin frowned. “Well, they didn’t say you could...but they didn’t say you _couldn’t_ , either.”

“Just sit me up.” Bolin half-slid, half-hoisted him into a sitting position, putting pillows behind him. The pain was excruciating as his left arm moved but Mako bit it down, even though it made the sweat pour off of him. Once he was seated he had to simply breathe through the pain for a few moments before he was able to speak again. “Where are we?”

“Ah, the hospital was totalled. Police station, too. We’re in the Four Elements, believe it or not. They moved you over yesterday. You were so doped up on poppy milk I’m sure you don’t remember.”

Mako's eyes tracked around the hotel room. “I recognize the color scheme.”

“Beifong’s downstairs in the ballroom. The police took it over. I’d call, but the phones aren’t working yet.”

“Is everyone else okay?” Mako held his breath.

“Oh sure! Everyone’s fine. Opal got banged up a little and scared me real bad but she’s okay now. One of the airbenders broke her leg and Su Beifong needed a few stitches but it was just stuff like that. You were the one who got hurt the worst. Well. Um. Except for Asami’s Dad.” Bolin’s face fell.

“Yeah.” Mako sighed.

“Anyhow. You think I can leave you for a few minutes? I really did promise Beifong I’d tell her when you woke up and I’ll let you in on a little secret, she’s as crabby as a wolfbat right now. Like, _seriously_ not in a good mood. I don’t want to be on her bad side, is all that I’m saying. I’d only be a couple of minutes.”

“Go. I’m just going to sit here.” Mako scoffed. “I don’t think I’m going anywhere at the moment.”

“Okay! Be back in three shakes of a goat gorilla’s tail!” Bolin trotted out the open door.

Mako looked down. His arm and hand were swathed in so many white bandages it was hard to make out the shape of them. On the night table next to his bed were several cards. One, covered with a picture of a smiling Mako with flames shooting out from all four hands and feet was from Ikki, he’d lay odds. The one that grabbed his attention, however, was the envelope that only had his name written on it. The calligraphy was exquisite. He knew whose script that was. Fumbling at it with one hand, he managed to get it open and roughly unfolded the letter within, written on Four Elements stationary.

_Dear Mako,_

_I came to see you, but you were out like a light. For the best, everyone assures me. They’ve got me meeting with all of the other bigwigs, trying to figure all of this out. A prince’s work is never done! But it means I won’t be able to come and see you as often as I like. I’m sorry._

_Your brother told me what you did. With the Colossus and all. You were very brave. Very very brave indeed._

_But then again, you’ve always been a hero to me._

_Be well. I will come and visit as soon as I am able,_

_Wu_

  
Mako pressed the letter over his heart and closed his eyes. He was weeping again.


	55. An Aqueous Adventure: A Day At The Water Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day at the new Water Park in Republic City. Done per a request prompt on Tumblr.
> 
> This takes place about two to three weeks before [I Do Not Ask the Night for Explanations](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5744101/chapters/13236343) begins.

"Naoki, don't run! It's slippery! Did you hear me! Don't...and there she goes." Mako scowled as his eldest slid on the wet tiles, arms pinwheeling as her feet went out from under her and she slammed down, hard.

"You live and you learn," said Lin, raising one eyebrow. "Looks like nothing's broken, anyhow." She watched as Naoki pulled herself up, rubbing at her bottom before waving happily and taking off for the stairs towards the tallest water slide, pace a little slower than before. "Come on, LoLo. Bar is over there. Drinks are on Wu today."

"If having a few drinks is what's going to get you to go down one of those slides, old girl, then lead on." LoLo winked at her, and then wrapped an arm around her waist to lead her into the direction of the refreshment area.

"This is the spot, right here," Wu said, pointing at a deck chair. "Plenty of shade and I can see all of the action. Mako, my love, will you adjust the umbrellas?" He smiled as he surveyed the brand new Republic City Water Park. It had only opened the month before; the latest brainchild of Varrick's Global Industries. It had several swimming pools, two large steam rooms, hot tubs and a refreshment area as well as water slides that led into pools. There were even beach areas that had been stocked with imported sand where park-goers could play kuai ball or lay out towels to sunbathe. It was staffed with waterbenders. The children had been begging to go, but Wu knew what it was like to try and go anywhere with Bolin. Between the autograph seekers and the photographers Bolin rarely enjoyed himself in outings with the children. Not to mention that taking Wei or Korra along anywhere usually ended the same way. Thus, he'd rented out the entire park for the day. Family and friends only. No lines, no paparazzi, no autographs. Sometimes, Wu reflected, it was good to be rich. 

He had just settled himself into the chair when a harassed-looking security guard jogged over, already perspiring in the muggy heat. "Is there a problem?"

"I'm sorry, Prince Wu," the man said. "There was this woman who came to the gates with her family. I tried to tell her this was a private event but she just..." the guard swallowed, looking furtively about before leaning in to Wu, "...she just moved right past me to the changing rooms. I don't know, sir. She was...terrifying, sir. Tiny but terrifying. She made my innards freeze, I can't explain it. I promise I'll get her out, but I'm going to need back up."

Wu clapped his hands. "Oh, Nuo is here! Excellent!" He gave the guard his very best smile. "Never mind, then. She actually does have an invitation. Ah, there she is." He beamed fondly at the Zaofu Beifongs as they made their way through the park. Wing was loaded up with multiple bags distributed over both shoulders, pushing a pram. Nuo was herding along her three eldest daughters as well as her in-laws.

"There's Wu, whoosh whoosh now everyone!" Despite the fact that she was wearing a pink skirted bathing suit, sandals, and an enormous floppy hat, Nuo still bore down on the park like her very own encroaching army.

"Terrifying," whispered the guard before making himself scarce.

"Darling!" Wu cried, and jumped up to give her a kiss on both cheeks once she'd reached them. Wing quickly slung the bags down.

"Is this where you want to park it?" 

"Yes, this is... _Rose Beifong!_ Don't you even think about getting in that pool! You can't swim yet!" Nuo was pointing at Rose, who was single-mindedly lowering herself into a deep pool.

"I'm on it," Wing said, and ran off to rescue his daughter.

"Where do you want everything?" Mako asked. At Nuo's direction he moved bags and umbrellas until he had everything situated to her liking. Nuo settled herself into the deck chair next to Wu and smiled fondly at Mako as he took the baby, Poppy, out of her pram to coo at her. He walked over with the baby to talk to Wing, who had Rose on his hip.

"Oh, Wu. Can't you give him another one? Look how happy he is when he has a baby." Nuo dug into her bag and pulled out a large fan and promptly began to fan herself.

"And where am I supposed to get a baby to give him, hmmm?" Wu reached into his own bag and pulled out his own fan. It had koi on it. Wu was very fond of it indeed.

"I'm certain you could figure it out if you put your mind to it. You usually do." Nuo turned her dark gaze after her in-laws. "Ah good, Su and Baatar found the bar. Now, where is Wei?"

Wu pointed with his fan. "Up there with Qi." Wei and Qi were standing at the very top of the highest water slide, getting themselves situated on a two-person raft. Naoki was bouncing up and down behind them, Prince Sozui hovering behind her.

"You didn't tell me you had the prince visiting!"

"Oh darling, it slipped my mind completely. Forgive me, you know what planning that Spring Festival does to me every year. You know we're going to the Fire Nation next month for his sister's investiture?" At Nuo's nod he continued. "Well, Izumi asked if we wouldn't mind getting him out of her hair until then. Well, not that she put it _that_ way of course. This is Izumi we're talking about. Iroh brought him. Truthfully, I don't mind having him. He really is a nice boy. It does my own brood some good to see some actual court manners in action, at that."

"So he'll travel with you? Ah! There's Bolin and Opal!" Nuo waved with her fan. Bolin and the boys were already running, whooping, for the nearest pool. Bolin's cannonball - done while he screamed _Incoming_  -  sent up water in an enormous plume, garnering a yell from Asami, who was trying to hold some papers out of the way.

"I told you not to bring any work!" Korra shouted at her as she did a flashy backflip off of the high dive.

"Hi you two," Opal said as she came up, pushing baby Pearl in her own pram. Her fuzzy head with its new tattoo was covered up from the sun with a brightly colored scarf. "It's so good to see you, Nuo. I'm glad you all could make it. How long are you staying, again?"

"Through the week," Nuo said. "Su has some business here and she's taking Wing along with her. You know how she is, work work work. So much for a vacation." She rolled her eyes and Opal rolled her own back with a smile. "The girls chattered on and on about their cousins the entire ride here, they were so exited."

"The boys were excited as well." Opal's eyes kept drifting over to watch her boys splashing around with Zhi in the big pool. Nuo smiled at her.

"Oh, go on and get in the water, I can see you want to. Leave Pearl here with Wu and me."

"Are you sure?" Opal said. She was watching Bolin, who was climbing the stairs behind Korra to the high dive.

"All we're going to do is sit right here in the shade and gossip. She's perfectly fine with us. Go on now. If we need you we'll find you." Opal moved the sleeping Pearl's pram further under the umbrella and then bent herself into the air for her own dive into the pool, splashing down next to a delighted San and Zhi.

"Wu, do you know where Naoki and Sozui are?" That was Rohan, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Jinora and Kai were coming from the changing rooms, followed by Pema and Kya.

"Up at the big slide there, last I checked. Where's your father?"

Rohan looked back. "He's still in the changing room. He doesn't like the swimming suit my mother bought him. He said it was a travesty of good fabric. Oh! There they are!" Rohan waved and ran off.

"I think that's everyone. Well, except for Yumi, but she said she'd be running a little late, so." Wu peeked into Pearl's pram before settling himself back down and fanning himself lazily.

Nuo fanned as well. "Really, Wu. Look at him." Mako had Poppy up on his bare shoulder, shielding her head from the sun with his hand.

"Oh, Nuo! Leave off! Go put your nose into someone else's business. Go and bother Wei to get married or something."

Nuo snorted at this. "Right." She sighed. "Oh, Wu, it's gotten worse, hasn't it? The partying, I mean."

Wu stared at Wei, who had made it to the bottom of the slide and was lunging around the pool, trying to grab Qi in order to dunk Qi under the water. "It's worse, yes. Qi is worried. Enough to bring it up with Mako and me." Wu looked at Nuo over his fan. "If Qi's worried, then there's something to worry about. You know how Qi is. Nerves of utter steel."

Nuo sighed. "You know if I try to bring it up with his mother she'll just brush it off. I love Su, you know I do, but no one can say a word to her about her children."

"I wrote to Huan about it." At Nuo's look he fanned at her. "He's not a child, Nuo. He deserves to know what's going on. Now especially that his other brother is up there."

"Oh, I've heard plenty about that, believe me. Su's been pushing to go ever since she got the letter from Ikki about it last winter. " Nuo sighed again. "Not that I blame her. How would I feel if it were Orchid or Iris? It's a mess. Poor Wing's been trying to play peacemaker, you know how he is. But he wants to go as well."

Mako walked back to them with a fussing Poppy. "Her diaper's good. Hungry, maybe?" He handed her gently down to her mother.

"Probably." Nuo took the baby and put her to her breast. Mako peeked in on a napping Pearl before leaning over to kiss Wu on the forehead.

"Has anyone seen Meili? Zhi's in the pool with Bo and the boys and Naoki's up the slide with Rohan and Sozui but I haven't seen Meili since we arrived."

Wu frowned. "I haven't either, actually." He sat up. "Is she over with the grandparent generation at the bar?"

"No. Hmmm. Maybe I should go and look." Mako frowned.

Nuo sat up, bringing Poppy with her. "Orchid and Iris are with Bolin as well and Wing has Rose. Who is she with, then?" All three of them looked about. "Is she with Qi?"

"No, Qi's doubling up with Rohan on the slide." Mako shaded his eyes with his hands. "I better go and find her."

"Do you want me to come?" Wu was worrying at his lip.

Mako shook his head. "I'm sure she's somewhere. If I can't find her myself I'll ask for help." He trotted off.

"Oh Nuo...you don't suppose..." Wu was fretting, his fan limp in his fingers.

"Nonsense. She's a waterbender, Wu. She's probably found something interesting to look at and isn't paying attention. You know how children are."

"I'm sure you're right..."

"I'm always right. Now sit back and tell me about what Qi said."

Wu sat back obediently. "Well, not much. You know how Qi is. Qi came to us and said that Qi was worried that Wei was going to get kicked off the Zorillas if he didn't get it together and that Qi thought we needed to do something about it."

Nuo turned her head to find Wei, standing at the top of one of the smaller waterslides, preparing to go down headfirst. "Get kicked off the team? But Wei's always been good about keeping his personal life and his professional life separate."

"According to Qi he's been showing up hungover to some of his practices. Even missed a few. His coach isn't happy with him at all. Mako tried to talk to him about it last week and Wei lost his temper at him. Not that Wei isn't known to lose his temper, of course, but Mako said that Wei got very belligerent about it, even threatened to punch Mako."

Nuo's head whipped back around and Poppy started to cry. "Oh, sorry, Poppy. Mommy's sorry, shhhh, go on now, go back to eating." She soothed her daughter's back. "He threatened to punch Mako? That's not like Wei at all."

"I was going to write but then you confirmed you were coming so I thought I'd talk to you about it in person."

Nuo frowned. "He hasn't said anything to Wing. I'd know if he did. And that in itself is unusual, the two of them talk about everything together. They've never kept secrets!"

"For what it's worth, Qi says Wei talks all the time about Baatar Junior being up there with Huan and Ikki. Qi even used the word _obsessed_ , and you know Qi does not actually have a single solitary flare for the dramatic. If Qi says _obsessed_ , then you can take that to the bank, really."

Nuo thought for a long moment, her hand absently caressing the back of her daughter's head. "I'll have to talk to Wing about it tonight," she said, slowly. "After the girls go down. Does Opal know?"

Wu nodded. "She's noticed as well. She obviously isn't going out at nights with him, so I'm not sure how much of it she sees. Even Qi isn't keeping up with him any more. Qi told Mako that Qi doesn't want to be out every night in clubs until dawn. Qi said it was fun once upon a time, but Qi's got other fish to fry, so to speak. So Wei's off on his own, half the time. More than half, really. Well, on his own without Qi, that is. And I think Qi was the one looking out for him anyhow, making sure he got home, that sort of thing. Not that Qi talks about it or anything, but you know Qi has never really enjoyed drinking until dawn." Wu scoffed. "Qi rarely even drinks. I haven't really..." his voice trailed off. "Do my eyes deceive me?" He cut his eyes over his fan.

"Oh _my_ ," murmured Nuo, her head tilting to the side. "My, my, my."

Tenzin stalked past them, his long pale legs sticking out of a pair of yellow and chartreuse striped swimming shorts. The singlet above them was so skimpily cut as to look like nothing more than ropes in the back. He jerked his head their direction as a greeting and continued to make his resolute way to the bar area.

"Impressive, for a man in his sixties," Nuo said, narrowing her eyes and fanning herself harder. "I had no idea at all what was hiding under that wingsuit."

"He really does make bald attractive, doesn't he?" Wu raised one eyebrow.

" _Mmmmmm_ ," said Nuo, with feeling.

Tenzin approached the rest of the crowd that was sitting at the bar, where heads swiveled to take in the sight. Lin scoffed a little and went back to her drink; LoLo, on the other hand, reached up, drew his sunglasses down and then grinned, giving Tenzin a very leisurely up and down before whistling at him.

Tenzin's entire head turned an interesting shade of tomato.

"He didn't!" Nuo gasped, hiding her face behind her fan, knocking poor Poppy about with her muffled laughter.

"Of course he did," said Wu, stifling his own giggles. "He's _terrible_. Oh look, Lin's trying not to laugh." Lin was scowling and sucking furiously at the straw that was sticking out of the large foot-shaped glass clutched in her hands.

"That's Lin trying not to laugh? She looks like she wants to kill someone," Nuo said, dipping her fan down.

"Oh, she always looks like that. It's all a matter of degrees. You get to know them, eventually."

"Admiring Tenzin's manly looks?" That was Wing, grinning down at them. "Not that I blame you. Nice. Very nice." He handed down a drink served in a coconut with an umbrella to Wu. "LoLo said this is your favorite." A large aloe water with several slices of melon was in his other hand. "And for the most beautiful woman here." Nuo took the drink in one hand while Wing deftly switched over Poppy to his shoulder, sitting on the deck chair on Nuo's other side. "Rosie's with Opal," he said. "Bu wanted to go play in the little pool with all the fountains." He patted Poppy on the back.

"Mako's off looking for Meili. You haven't seen her, have you?" Wu took a sip of his drink.

Wing frowned. "No. Mako already asked me. He recruited Qi and Wei to help him look. This place isn't that big, she's got to be here somewhere. Mako said he was going to check in the back where all the machines are that keep the slides running, he thought she might have gotten curious."

Wu put his drink down. "Oh, you don't think she might have..." He sat up, shoulders hunching. "Maybe I should help look."

"I'm sure she's fine, Wu. There's plenty of staff here as well, you know. Waterbender lifeguards at every pool."

"I know, I know. If it were Zhi missing I wouldn't be worried, you know he's always dashing off somewhere or the other and he always shows back up again. But Meili usually sticks close." He closed his eyes in relief and then pointed. "Well, worries over. See? Qi's got her." Qi had Meili's hand firmly in Qi's, and was marching her right up to where Wu was seated. Qi's face was unsmiling as they approached. "Meili, darling! Where on earth have you been! You've had everyone so worried!"

Qi let go of her hand before addressing Wing. "No one will hear me if I try to call. Would you mind letting Mako and Wei know she's safe?" Wing immediately stood up and handed Poppy over to Qi, who took her with practiced ease. As Wing jogged off, Qi looked back down at Meili with a frown. "You tell your Papa what it is you were doing when I found you."

Meili ground her toe into the grass before looking up at her father, blue eyes wide. "I was just up at the top of the big slide."

"Meili," Qi said, a warning evident in the tone.

"Meili," said Wu. "Were you being naughty?" Wu put a hand to his chest. "I can tell by your look! You tell me _instantly_ what you were doing when Qi found you."

"I wasn't doing anything so bad," she said. Her eyes got even bigger.

"If that's the case, then explain what _that_ is," said Qi, pointing towards the biggest water slide. Wu and Nuo both looked towards it.

"What on earth?" Nuo asked. "What is that?" 

"That," said Qi, soft voice very grim, "Is soap."

"Soap?" Wu blinked.

"Soap." Nuo repeated, watching as white foam cascaded down the slide, glopping into the pool beneath it. "Oh, it's soap all right."

"I caught someone here putting soap into the water at the top of the big slide." Qi's lips were pursed.

" _Meili Hou-Ting_ ," Wu gasped. "That was very very naughty indeed! Whatever possessed you to do it?"

"It was in the newspaper. LoLo read it to Lin."

Qi and Wu exchanged a glance. "What was in the paper, baby?" Qi laid a mostly asleep Poppy back into her pram, covering her carefully.

"Some bad boy put soap in the water here. I wanted to see it what it would do." Meili spun a slightly damp curl around her finger. "Papa's not mad?"

"On the contrary! I am _quite_ angry, Meili! Look at the mess it made!" They all turned to look at Naoki going face-first down the slide, whooping in joy as she plummeted through the bubbles at an increased velocity, flying through the air at the bottom of the slide, doing several flips before crashing into the pool.

"Naoki isn't mad," Meili said. "Naoki likes it."

"Your sister would slide through a vat of jook and laugh so long as it gave her a thrill," Wu said. "Naoki most certainly does _not_ count."

"Zhi does 'periments and nobody gets mad at Zhi." Meili put her lower lip out in a pout that was simply adorable. Qi showed signs of crumbling and Meili immediately wrapped her arms around Qi's leg, staring up with those bright blue eyes, chin trembling. "Qi's not mad?" Qi attempted to look stern. Qi failed.

"Don't you dare try to appeal to Qi, young lady! And besides, what Zhi does or does not is quite beside the point. I am _extremely_  unhappy with you. Where on earth did you get the soap, anyhow? I know you didn't carry it in with you."

Meili shrugged. "Bathroom. I made it soft with water and then bent it out, Papa."

Nuo coughed very suspiciously behind her fan, but quickly schooled her features back into sternness.

Wu sighed. "Well, here comes your father, anyhow."

Mako strode up and pointed at Sozui yelling his head off as he flew down the slide, covered in foam. "That your mess, Meili?"

Meili burst into tears.

"Oh...she didn't mean anything bad..." Qi was pleading, looking between Wu and Mako. "You didn't, did you, baby?" Meili hugged Qi's leg even tighter, sobbing.

"You might get past Qi with those tears, but you aren't getting past me. They are sending staff up there to clean it up and you are coming to help them. Right now." Mako took her hand in his and pried her away from Qi, marching her off. "We had no idea where you were, either! Guess how worried we were!" Mako continued to scold as he took her towards the stairs up to the slide.

"Qi! I am ashamed of you! All that girl has to do is bat her eyelashes at you and you fold." Wu waggled his closed fan at Qi.

Qi flopped down in the chair next to Wu. "Don't I know it. I can't help it." Qi put Qi's head in Qi's hands. "The eyes get me, every time."

Nuo tsked, shaking her head. "She's got your number, Qi." She snorted. "Just like Rose has Wing's. He'll let that child do anything." She smiled, just a little sadly. "She reminds him of Huan, I think."

Wu reached over and squeezed Nuo's hand. "Huan spoke when he was ready to, Nuo. Rose will when she's ready."

"I know, I know. Su says the same. I can't help but worry. Oh, Raava in a teacup, is that LoLo up there?" She pointed at LoLo, standing at the top of one of the slides, grinning, waving at Lin.

"That's going to end badly," Qi said, looking up.

"What on earth is he thinking?" Wu put his fan to his mouth. "He's trying to show off, I just know he is."

Lin was standing at the edge of the pool, hands on her hips, staring up at him. With a yell, LoLo launched himself down, sitting feet first. He swooped and swirled down the curves of the slide; all was going well until his body flew a little too fast around a bend and he spun, arms flailing, until he landed face down, flying through the air and hitting the water of the pool with a loud splash. He didn't immediately come back up again.

Lin stood there for a moment and then executed a perfect dive into the pool, only surfacing again with LoLo under one arm.

"Is he drowned?" Wu dropped his fan and gasped.

Qi snorted. "No." LoLo surged up out of the water and grabbed Lin, planting a kiss on her mouth. Lin kissed him back for a moment and then pulled away, shouting at him while he grinned in delight. "One of these days she's going to kill him." 

A heated discussion happened in the pool; with her arms thrown into the air Lin made her way out of the pool and then up the stairs. LoLo whistled after her retreating back and she made a very rude gesture with her hand, which only made him laugh harder. Up the stairs she went, disappearing for a few moments until she appeared at the top of the slide. She sat down, crossed her arms over her chest, and launched herself down the slide. Down she went, her eyes on LoLo the entire time, arms firmly crossed. When she hit the bottom she caught air and went gracefully into the pool feet first. LoLo roared his approval and went to fetch her out of the pool, grabbing her and kissing her. Lin unbent enough to smile and kiss him back.

It was a lovely day. Meili helped clean up the soap mess and Kya approved of her soap softening technique. ("I'm her teacher," she said to a disapproving Mako, "Not her parent. And it was some very inventive bending.") Mako finally cajoled Wu into sliding with him; Wu sat behind him with his arms around his waist, his face smashed into Mako's back, screaming the entire way down. Yumi joined them later in the afternoon and challenged Korra to a swimming race, which Korra was forbidden to bend in and which Yumi won, her strong kick plunging her through the water. Orchid sustained a scraped elbow and cried about it until her grandfather fetched her an ice cream and Sozui tore the skin right off of his knee, proudly showing off the wound to anyone who would look. Tenzin unwound enough to share a Kyoshi Stomp with his sister and Su spent an hour showing Zhi a certain type of kick serve in kuai ball. Bolin had an especially wonderful time, relaxing in public for the first time in years.

As evening came, the smaller children were yawning, Rose sound asleep in her father's arms and Meili drowsing on LoLo's lap.  The older children were playing some complicated game of tag, dashing in and around the fountains. Wu had Nuo's hand in his as they sat in their deck chairs, Wu having swapped out his smoked lenses for his regular spectacles. He brought Nuo's hand up to kiss it and she dimpled at him.

"This was a good day," he said.  He watched Jinora laugh as Kai danced her around the grass, swirling her in his arms. "I wish Huan could have been here."

"I miss him too," said Nuo. "He's happy there, though. I can tell by how he's writing." She glanced over at Wu. "We'll see him again. You know we will."

Wu's hand tightened in hers as fireworks, the traditional end to each and every day at the Water Park, sputtered and shimmered into the sky.


	56. A Journey At Dawn: Lin Takes Mako Fishing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin takes Mako fishing.
> 
> Inspired by a pic I posted from my Sims 4 game and by a challenge by Marezelle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](default.asp)   
>    
> 

Wu was making sure Naoki got to bed and Mako had just put his feet up on the coffee table with a glass of whiskey when the Chief came into the room, a glass of wine in her own hand. She jerked her chin his way.

"You've got tomorrow off, right?" 

"Yeah."

"Any plans?"

"Not really, no."

She nodded. "Well, I've got something I want to show you. We'll have to leave early, though. About three in the morning, so set your alarm. Wear something warm and casual. Your boots, too. I'll provide breakfast."

Mako opened his mouth, but found he didn't know what to say. So he just nodded. Taking that as an agreement, the Chief left the room.

"What was that all about?" Qi looked up from Qi's embroidery.

"Damned if I know," Mako replied. "But I guess I better go to bed a little early tonight."

 

He woke up early the next morning, kissing a befuddled Wu back into sleep. He dressed himself but for his boots and crept down the stairs to the kitchen, quiet so not as to wake the kids. The Chief was already waiting for him, dressed in trousers and boots herself, with a padded coat. She had a large rucksack in her hands. He quickly laced up his boots and they walked out to the garage. "We'll take my car," she said quietly, and she pulled out into the street while he closed the garage door behind her. She flipped on the headlights as he got in and they started driving northeast.

They were silent on the drive up, which took about a half hour. Mako struggled not to fall back asleep; it was early, and he hadn't had any tea yet. He wasn't exactly what anyone would call a morning person anyhow. Finally the Chief pulled the car over and parked it into a little grassy area next to the road. "Grab the bag," she said, and she hopped out of the car to rummage around in the back, pulling out a covered basket which she slung over her back thanks to two leather straps. Next she slid out two long fishing poles. She handed one of them to Mako. "This way," she said, and they walked a faint path into a forested area, following it for about five minutes before the forest opened up onto a rocky beach of a lake, surrounded by mountains as well as the forest they'd walked through. Mako stopped short at the beauty of it, taking in a deep breath and looking around, stunned. He'd never seen anything quite so wild and so remote, even though they were only a few minutes from the road. "It's a good spot," the Chief said with a satisfied nod. She put down her pole and unslung the basket before holding out her hand for the rucksack. Out of it she pulled two small folding stools, two thermoses, and a small wrapped package which Mako was sincerely hoping had some food in it. She set up the stools and handed over the red thermos to Mako. "I can't abide the way you drink it," she said, sitting down and opening up her own thermos, pouring out black tea. "Surprised your teeth haven't rotted out already." She unwrapped the package and took out a a cold rice roll. "Help yourself," she said, and Mako did, taking his own roll and pouring out tea that had been laced with milk and sugar. The tea was still hot. The Chief nodded at it. "LoLo heated up the milk so it wouldn't get cold. Handy, that man."

Once they'd finished their breakfast, the Chief picked up a pole. "You ever been fishing before?" At Mako's shake of his head, she opened up the basket and showed him how to bait the hook before explaining and then demonstrating how to cast the pole. "Soft and easy, no need to fling the damn thing," she said, and after a few false starts Mako got the hang of it. She showed him how to hold it. "You start to feel a tug on the line, you give it a sharp jerk to set the hook and then start reeling it in. Net's there; I'll give you a hand since you're new at it and all." With that she cast her own pole and then sat down on her stool, surprising Mako to the core of his very being by pulling a pipe out of her jacket pocket and handing it over to him to light. At his look she shrugged. "Just a fishing thing." She pulled out another one and handed it to him without a word. Mako lit his up and sucked on it; the tobacco was unexpectedly sweet and smokey at the same time, far better tasting than the cigarettes he snuck behind Wu's back.

They sat there for a time, smoking their pipes and occasionally checking their hooks for bait. The morning air had a bit of a bite to it; it was chilly, but the air felt fresh and smelled divine. Mako was a city boy, through and through, but he thought, sitting there smoking that pipe, with the rising sun warm on his shoulders, that he'd never been anywhere more lovely or peaceful in his entire life.

The Chief tapped the ashes out of her pipe and then stowed it away. "I learned how to fish from Katara. Tenzin's mother, you know?" She smiled a little. "Aang was a vegetarian, of course, but Katara never had been and every once in awhile she'd sneak away and get a little fishing in. She'd taken Bumi with her once upon a time but he got older and joined the Navy and she used to take me after that."

They were silent for a time. The Chief put her pole between her clamped knees and poured herself a little tea, drinking it before shifting the pole back into her hands.

"My mother...well, you've heard me talk about her. I'm still not sure why she bothered to have Su and me. She was never very interested in being a mother. When I was small I had a nanny. Somebody had to keep an eye on me when she was at work, of course. Su came along when I was six and by the time she was two or three my mother, for some reason, decided that I was old enough to take care of her." The Chief snorted. "There I was, a nine year old, having charge of a three year old all day. Nights too, more often as not. You know what the job entails."

Mako frowned. "That's too much for a nine year old to handle."

The Chief sighed. "Not that I realized it at the time, of course. I was just a kid. But now? Seeing your kids? I don't know what the fuck my mother was thinking. It's not like she couldn't have afforded a nanny. Her pay wasn't all that glorious as a police chief but she owned that house outright and she could have easily managed it. Not to mention my grandparents were as rich as damned kings." Another snort. "Well, not as rich as your husband, but who is?"

"Not very many people," said Mako. Wu was obscenely rich, as he had reason to know.

"Well, who the fuck knows. Probably someone said something to her and my mother, stubborn old bitch that she was, decided she'd show them who knew what was best for her girls. Never mind that she herself didn't know." She waved her free hand. "Anyhow. Katara wasn't at all happy about it. The two of us being alone like that, I mean. So she'd come across on the ferry, pick us up and take us over there. We'd stay for days at a time. Weeks, even. I guess she got word to my mother somehow, it's not like she could leave a note."

She reeled back in and frowned at the bare hook. "Nibbles but no bites. Damn fish anyhow." She re-baited the hook and Mako reeled his own line in to do the same. They both cast again and sat for a time. Eventually she spoke again.

"Katara was an amazing bender. Fucking amazing. I've never personally seen a waterbender to beat her. Kya's good - damn good - and I'd say she was her mother's equal at this point. But better? No. And she was all self-taught, you know. Katara. She was the only waterbender left down in the Southern Water Tribe as a girl, the Fire Nation had taken or killed all of the rest. She taught herself with scrolls and by just doing. Combat, healing, even bloodbending. She learned that from a former prisoner of the Fire Nation, she told me once. People like to talk about my mother and Aang and Firelord Zuko. And they were all amazing benders, for sure. My mother was crap at parenting, but that woman could _bend_.  But so could Katara. I've seen what she could do." The Chief shook her head, angrily. "And what do people remember her for? Being the wife of the Avatar. The mother of the Airbenders. Katara! The greatest waterbender of her age! Reduced to being a wife and mother. It made me so furious for her sake." She scoffed. "Hell, it still does, and she's gone now. Gone, and there she is in the history books, wife and mother."

Mako was quiet, listening. He'd met Katara, of course, but hadn't gotten to know her very well. She'd been very kind, very serene. Old. She'd also struck him as a little sad, at the time, that much he remembered.

"I never wanted that. Lin Beifong, wife to Tenzin and mother to the Airbenders. Everything about me pushed into a side note, maybe a small photograph in the history books if I was lucky. Not to mention, I figured I'd make a shitty mother. I didn't have the best example, that's for damn sure. So nope, no marriage. No kids. I don't regret it. The marriage and kids thing, I mean. It was the right decision for me."

She stood up and cast again, settling back down onto her stool. The sun had risen even further and there was a bit of steam coming off of the water. "Your kids are great kids. Not that you need me to tell you, of course. But they are good kids. Happy kids. They get lots of time and attention. Lots of love. That house is not the same house it was when I grew up in it. You're a damn good father, Mako."

His eyes filled up at those words and he blinked away the tears. He kept silent, not knowing how to respond to that.

"I'm glad you let me share your life that way. Living there the way I do, taking a part in your family. I never wanted motherhood, but I kind of enjoy the whole grandma thing. Not that I'm official or anything. But you know what I mean."

Mako nodded.

"I just...wanted you to know that. I wanted to actually say it to you. I'm shit at this whole touchy feely thing, but you already know that about me, not like it's a shock or anything. But no one ever told me anything like that when I was a kid and it...well, it didn't do me any favors, let's just say that." She sighed. "When I was about twelve or so, Katara took me fishing. We caught a few and started a fire, grilled them up right there on sticks and ate them. Just the two of us. And she told me that she loved me, and she was proud of me and that she hoped I would know that she had always thought of me as a daughter." The Chief threw out that hand again. "I don't know if she ever knew what that meant to me. Well. Maybe she did at that, she was always a very perceptive woman, Katara." The Chief took a deep breath and looked at Mako. "Like I said, I'm shit at this kind of thing but I want you to know that even though I never had any kids and I don't regret that, I think you are a man that would make any mother proud. Including your own mother, may she rest in peace. I'm proud of you. You're a good man, a good father. Incredible bender, but you don't need me to tell you that. I'm not your mother, but I value you in my life. I just wanted you to know that."

Mako brought his sleeves up to wipe at his eyes. The Chief looked away and busied herself with the fishing creel until he was able to get himself back into order. He swallowed several times and wished he'd thought to remember a handkerchief. He was covertly wiping his nose on his sleeves as well when his pole suddenly gave a hard tug. 

"Haul it back!" The Chief said, motioning with her own pole. Mako yanked it back and felt the pole pull, the line squealing as it ran. "You got it! Reel it in! Slow and steady is the way to do it, you don't want that tricky little fucker to pull off the hook!" She grinned at him and he grinned back, reeling it in slow and steady, just like she'd said. The fish threw itself furiously into the air, scales a bright silver flash in the sun. Mako let out with an involuntary shout and kept reeling, and he heard the Chief's chuckle next to him. "You've got him now," she said, and she had the net ready when the fish, a big lake trout, came up to shore. She showed him how to safely store it in the lake to keep it fresh. "That's a damn fine fish for your first one," she said, and clapped him on the shoulder. "Let's catch a few more for our breakfast."

They sat there together for a couple more hours; Mako caught a few more (including a baby, which the Chief told him to throw back in) and the Chief herself caught a few as well. Mako lost one that snapped his line; at his grunt of rage the Chief let loose with one of her rare laughs before showing him how to re-string the line. Eventually she showed him how to gut and clean them, and he started a fire and they roasted them, turning the fish slowly to cook them all the way through before eating them right off the sticks, greasy and blisteringly hot. Mako had never had anything more delicious.

The Chief rinsed her hands in the lake and wiped them off on her jacket, which had clearly seen a fair amount of abuse in its time. "Maybe one of these times we could bring the Butterfly out here with us, show her what's what," she threw out casually.

Mako smiled. "She'd love it."

The Chief snorted. "If we could actually wake her up that early, that is." She packed up the fishing creel with the rest of the fish, while Mako closed up the stools and repacked the bag, making sure they hadn't left any trash behind. "LoLo will be glad to get the fish for dinner. He told me if we didn't bring any home he'd have to call Chin's and order us take out for dinner."

"Wouldn't want that," Mako said.

"Fuck no," she responded. As they started back up the path that led to the car, she sniffed. "Probably be coming back out next week again. If you'd want to come, that is."

"I'd like that," Mako said, and she nodded and held a branch so it wouldn't slap him in the face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is for my Daddy, who used to take me - just me - fishing when I was a girl. Some of the best memories I ever had: him with a thermos full of coffee and me with a thermos full of cocoa, eating powdered donuts and sitting together, quiet in the silent morning. The last time he took me was a few months before he died, when I was twenty-six; I started a fire and he cleaned them and we grilled the trout and ate them right there. I still miss those fishing trips.


	57. A Covert Operation: Spying On Papa's Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My Betareader asked me to do a story from Naoki's POV; she wanted to see the kids spying on some of Wu's important guests. Here's what I came up with for the prompt!

A head topped with a long, loose braid popped itself around the corner leading to the second floor landing in the west wing of the mansion. "Okay, we're clear," Naoki said quietly, motioning with her hand. She crept in a stealthy crouch, barefoot, until she reached the balustrade. Zhi followed her, commando-crawling in his pajamas across the floor, grunting a little with the effort.

"Ow! I think I got a big bruise!" 

"You did not!"

"On my knee!"

"Lemme see." Naoki yanked his pajama bottoms up over his knee, peering down in the dim light. "I don't see anything."

Meili walked across the landing, curls tied up in scarf, her pale blue satin robe flowing behind her, embroidered slippers on her feet.

"Meili! They'll see you! Get down on the floor!" Naoki hissed, scowling. Her sister shot her a disdainful look worthy of generations of Hou-Tings.

"No, I won't. It's a dirty floor." Meili sniffed before sitting down gracefully and arranging her pretty nightgown to its best showing.

"I don't think it's dirty, Papa had maids here all week." Zhi was probing at his knee. "It's right here, see?" He grabbed Noaki's hand and put it on his knee. 

"Well, I'll look at it later, it's too dark."

"That's an ugly dress," Meili said, peeping down through the carved marble ballusters at a matron who had just entered the grand salon, escorted in by a man in a formidable suit. "She looks like a rooster pigeon."

Naoki put her hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles. Trust Meili to say it. Meili could say anything she wanted. Adults just laughed at her like she was the most adorable thing whenever she said something rude. If _she_ had said someone had looked like a rooster pigeon Papa would have let her have it. Papa took good manners _very_ seriously. _I will ask you to recall that you are, in fact, a_ princess _, young lady,_  he'd say, raising his eyebrows and giving her the look that meant she was in for it. Nope. Papa was a lot of fun and sometimes silly and loved to laugh but he had no sense of humor at all when it came to _proper comportment_.

Usually when Papa had his parties they went to stay on the Island with Pema and Tenzin. And Kya now too, since she was living there. It was always fun. Pema was so nice and Kya told great stories and Tenzin always let them play with the wind gates. He made them go very gently and slowly for Meili and Zhi, but he made Naoki actually train with them. Tenzin told her that Firelord Zuko had trained with them as well once upon a time and they had improved his firebending and that was enough for her, oh yes it was. The gates made her move differently than what she was used to, for sure. Rohan always came as well, and he helped too, showing her how to turn her body a different way or how to spin quickly. It was easy for Rohan, though, because he could use air to help propel himself through. She couldn't use any flame in it, of course; way too dangerous and the gates were old, anyhow. She was always careful with them. She thought she might be able to just use heat to help propel her but she hadn't quite worked out how to produce heat without any flame yet. She'd asked Zhi to help her and he had been pulling books out of their library and reading up on ways to make heat without fire. _You could do it with lightning_ , he had told her the other day, but that wouldn't work in the air gates any better than flame would and besides, Daddy would flat out _murder her dead_ if she used lightning. She didn't even want to _think_ what Daddy would do if she bent lightning without him. He let her do lots and lots of stuff with fire that would probably give Papa one of his little hissy fits if he knew about it but he had _forbade_ her to use lightning unless he was there. She'd asked him why, once, and he looked her right in the eyes and rolled up his sleeve and took off his glove to show her his scars and then told her he'd seen a man lose control of his own lightning once and that it rebounded and cooked him right then and there. _Did_ you _ever kill someone with lightning, Daddy?_ she'd asked, not expecting him to answer. _Yes I did, Naoki,_ he said, and when he called her Naoki she knew he meant business. She asked Lin about it later and Lin told her that it was true and that when Daddy was ready to tell her about it he would. _And don't think I don't know about all the little stunts you're pulling over in the park when you think no one's looking,_ Lin said. _But you mind your father on this one. You hear me?_

She got the message, loud and clear. But that didn't mean she couldn't see if she could figure out how to make heat without flame or lightning, though. Zhi had found a book that told how you could store heat you could get from sunlight and he was taking notes for her. He was also going to ask his tutor about it. Zhi's tutor answered all of Zhi's questions and this was a big deal because Zhi could ask more questions than anyone in the whole world, probably. Although when Zhi had asked his tutor if people had sex the same way that he'd seen the poodle monkey from next door doing it she marched him to the kitchen, handed him over to LoLo, and said that Prince Wu wasn't paying her quite enough for _that_ question. LoLo had laughed so hard he cried. 

Zhi was actually pretty awesome for a little brother. Not that she was going to tell him that or anything.

They were all looking forward to going to the Island but Pema had called that morning, so sorry, telling that there was a terrible stomach flu making its way around the Island and that everyone was throwing up and worse. Then Uncle Bo called and said that Auntie Opal and Bu had it too and that meant that not only were Uncle Bo and Auntie Opal not coming to the party but they couldn't even stay with the cousins, either. So all the grownups decided that they could stay upstairs in their bedrooms. Papa had given them a long lecture about staying in the east wing and Daddy promised he would bring them treats (Daddy always saved them treats from all of the parties he and Papa went to, Daddy was the _best_ ) and of course they had promised they wouldn't go into the west wing but she and Zhi had crossed their fingers behind their backs so it didn't count. She'd told Meili that she hadn't crossed her fingers and that meant that she had lied to Papa but Meili just shrugged and said, _I'm too little to get in trouble._

Naoki, herself, had _never_ been too little to get in trouble. But it always worked for Meili. Meili was so pretty and sweet and everyone liked her. Sometimes it made her feel really bad. She loved Meili - she loved Meili a lot - but she knew she was never going to grow up to be beautiful like Meili. Everyone who knew Yumi's sister said Meili looked just like her and Kya had once brought a photograph of all of her apprentices and Yumi's sister was in it and she was really really _really_ beautiful. She asked Yumi about it the next time she went to the dojo to train and Yumi had just laughed and laughed. _I guess I just got hit with the ugly stick, kiddo,_ Yumi had said when she finally stopped laughing. Naoki didn't actually think Yumi was ugly, but she didn't look like her sister, that's for sure.

The rooster pigeon lady and her stuck-up looking husband went inside the ballroom. They couldn't see very much into the ballroom itself; just the first part past the big open double doors. But she could hear the orchestra Papa had hired playing. Soft music, she didn't think anyone was dancing yet. The ballroom was very beautiful, with a white marble floor and crystal chandeliers and gold curtains. Lin had told that when she and Granny Su were little girls they used to bend in there. Now there were tables with flowers and fancy food that came in trucks and people helping out that Papa paid just for his parties and everything sparkled and gleamed. Usually this part of the house was kept quiet; the family stayed in the east wing and they weren't allowed to come over here and play. But when Papa threw his parties this whole wing - the wing that had the ballroom and the very fancy dining room with the table that went on forever and ever and the formal receiving room where Papa met with important guests and the bathrooms that would show every single fingerprint if you touched anything in them - was always busy being cleaned and getting even fancier. 

"Ooooh," Meili said. "She looks like moonlight!" She was pointing at a woman who had walked in, her dress a silvery white color, her hair done in high swoops. "I want Papa to get me a dress like that." Meili hugged her knees and sighed. Meili would look beautiful in a dress like that. If Naoki dressed like that everyone would laugh at her. And anyway, she couldn't let her arms show, not like that lady, because her arms usually had bruises on them from training. 

She had asked Sozui, the last time he was visiting, if he thought she was pretty and he told her that she was the best bender he'd ever seen and she might only be eleven but she knew what that meant, that meant no, no way, you aren't pretty at all, and she told him she'd kick his ass for sure and pretended like she didn't care but later, that night, she hid in the pavilion in the backyard and cried and cried until Qi came and found her and said, _You want to tell me what's making you spring a leak?_  and she said, _Nobody thinks I'm pretty, not like Meili is_ , and Qi took her face into Qi's hands and said, _Naoki, you aren't pretty like Meili, that's true. But when you grow up you are going to be a striking woman that will make people turn around and notice, it's all in the bones, see?_ And Qi ran Qi's thumbs down her cheekbones and smiled. And she kept crying and said, _But I want to be pretty sometimes,_ and Qi said, _I want to be pretty sometimes, too, Butterfly, I know it hurts_ , and then Qi hugged her and just sat with her until all her crying was out of her. Sometimes now she looked in the mirror and examined the bones in her face. She didn't see anything worth looking at, but Qi never lied to her, not ever, not even when the truth hurt, so if Qi said that she was going to be striking when she grew up then she'd just have to believe Qi. Even if she wasn't sure what striking meant.

"There's the president!" Zhi said. "I don't think Daddy likes her very much. He says she has her head up her bum, only he didn't say bum, he said the bad word. I don't see how that's possible but I guess it's an idiom." He started to giggle. "You'd have to be pretty bendy to put your head up your own bum."

Naoki started to giggle as well. "And it would smell really gross."

"Then she's a poopyhead," said Meili, and then all three of them were giggling.

"President Poopyhead," said Zhi, and he toppled over, trying to muffle his laughter into the sleeve of his pajamas.

"Shh! They'll hear us!" Naoki said, but she was giggling pretty hard too. She kept trying to stop, but then she'd make eye contact with Zhi and Meili and start all over again.

"This doesn't look like bed to me," said a soft voice behind them, and all three of them jumped and looked guiltily back at Qi, who was standing there, hands on Qi's hips, giving them Qi's look that meant _you are so busted now_. "In fact, it looks to me like some kids exactly where they promised their father they wouldn't be."

"Aw, Qi," said Zhi. "Don't be mad."

"I just wanted to see the pretty dresses." Meili made big cute eyes at Qi. Usually this worked, but tonight Qi just raised one eyebrow back at Meili.

"Uh huh," said Qi. Qi looked really nice, wearing a sort of white dress and pants all together thing, with a flower in Qi's hair. Naoki hadn't ever seen Qi dress like that before. 

"Do you have knives in that?" she asked, trying to see under the fluttering sleeves.

"Your Papa's in there. I've got my knives," Qi said, and moved a sleeve so Naoki could see the tip of one of Qi's knives.

"But Qi, how did you know we'd be here?" Zhi was scrunching up his nose a little bit like he always did when he was trying to figure things out.

Qi snorted. "I had my suspicions. Next time you cross your fingers behind your back make sure someone isn't behind you." Qi sighed. "Anybody see you up here?"

"Nope. We were quiet and stayed out of the way," Naoki answered. "Please let us stay a little! I promise we won't make any noise or let anyone see us! We'll be quiet, right?" Zhi and Meili nodded and Zhi held out his hands in front of him.

"I promise, no take backs!"

"Dancing music!" breathed Meili, and they all listened. The orchestra had started playing a waltz, the sound of it echoing through the west wing.

"Yeah, they'll play waltzes and slow music like that now. The better music will come later, after folks have listened to your Papa talk and the older ones have gone home." Qi pointed a finger. "But you three will be in bed long before that. And mind, you keep quiet tomorrow morning. It'll be a late night. We'll all want to sleep in."

"LoLo said he'd leave us breakfast in the icebox," Zhi said. 

Meili stood up and swirled, patting down her nightgown and matching robe. She held out her arms to Qi. "You may dance with me now," she said and Qi grinned.

"Yes, Princess," Qi said, and bowed. Qi pulled Meili up to Qi's hip and started to waltz her around the landing.

"I spy, with my little eye, three kids who are supposed to be in bed," said Daddy, and there he was, looking so handsome in his suit, standing on the landing. 

"Daddy! How did you _know?_ " Zhi asked, his mouth dropping open. Daddy just held up his crossed fingers.

"Your father might not know what that means, but I do." He had a plate in his other hand and as he walked across to them, Naoki saw it was covered with a napkin. "Here. Take your treats and then go on back to bed. You can eat them there. All the guests are in the ballroom, so there won't be anything to see from up here anyhow. Later on some of the people might get a little drunk and I don't want you kids around that. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy," Zhi said. Daddy handed him the plate carefully. 

"I'll check in on you in a little while, make sure you're settled in. You're all going to sleep in Butterfly's room, right?" All three of them nodded. "Okay," Daddy said, and he leaned down to kiss Zhi's forehead.

Naoki stood up and swirled in her own circle. She might have just regular pajamas and bruises and a bandaged shin where she'd slammed it into a brick wall when practicing flipping backwards yesterday, but she thought the music was nice, too. Daddy took her hands and smiled at her, moving her into position and waltzing with her. Daddy always made dancing look so easy, all you had to do was follow where he led. He took his hand away from her waist for a moment to tuck a loose piece of hair behind her ear. "Maybe someday you won't want to dance with your old Daddy anymore," he said, his eyes a little bit sad, but she shook her head so hard that her braid flew out behind her.

"No, Daddy! Never! I'll always want to dance with you!" She would, too. She loved her Daddy, so much. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek.

"Good," he said. "Okay, you three. Bedtime, now. And you stay in our part of the house. Do I make myself clear? I had better go before your father comes looking for me. If he finds you here he'll blow his stack." All three of them nodded. They knew Papa would be very angry - really angry, not pretend angry like Qi - if he found them there.

"You want me to walk them on over?" Qi asked. Daddy thought for a minute, and then nodded.

"Would you?"

"Yeah. I'll make sure we don't have any stragglers over there as well." Daddy and Qi exchanged a look that Naoki didn't quite understand. "Don't fret, Mako. You make sure he's got what he needs. I'll keep an eye out for the rest."

Daddy sighed. "I know, I know. I'm probably worrying too much. I just wish they were out of the house, that's all."

Qi walked over and put Qi's hand on Daddy's shoulder, Meili still on Qi's hip. "Leave it to me." Daddy nodded, and then Qi took Qi's hand away and gestured. "Come on, you three. Say goodnight and let's scoot." Qi took the plate of treats from Zhi's hand and winked at Zhi.

They all hugged Daddy - Meili hugged him from Qi's hip - and then Qi started walking down the long hallway that connected the two wings of the house. Meili yawned and rested her head on Qi's shoulder.

The music followed them as they made their way back to the part of the house that was home and Zhi slid his hand into Naoki's. He smiled over at her, and she squeezed his hand, hard.


	58. A Caretaker's Conundrum: Wei Watches The Kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wei watches Opal's kids for the weekend. This takes place a few weeks before I Do Not Ask The Night For Explanations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got two Tumblr prompts for a drabble in Wei's POV:
> 
> "People are not addicted to drugs or alcohol, they are addicted to escaping reality" and "Wei being asked to take care of San, Bu, and Pearl for the entire weekend or something."
> 
> They sort of got combined? I didn't plan it. Look, it happens.

"That's the phone number of the hotel, if you need us. And you have Mako's number, of course." Opal had one hand on her hip. "I don't know, Bolin. Maybe you should go alone. I can stay home."

"It's like you don't trust me or something!" Wei threw his hands up. "I'm not going to kill them or leave them at the park or forget to feed them or anything."

"Opal, honey, come on. The car is waiting." Bolin was shifting from foot to foot. "It'll be fine. The kids love Wei."

"We love Uncle Wei! Don't worry!" Bu threw his arms around Opal's thigh.

"It'll be okay, Mommy." San had Pearl in his arms. "You and Daddy have a nice time."

Bolin took Opal's hand in his. "Honey, if we're late for the airship you know I'll never hear the end of it from Varrick."

"Okay, okay, I know when I'm outnumbered." Opal quickly gathered Bu in for a hug, followed by a hug for San and Pearl, leaning in to whisper into San's ear. "If there's a problem you call Uncle Mako, okay?" San nodded gravely and she kissed his cheek. She straightened up to jab her index finger into Wei's forehead. "Anything goes wrong, I will _end you_."

"Nice!" Wei yelped, smacking her finger away. "You know, you're giving a really great example of airbender non-violence to Bu, here!"

She pointed at him and mouthed, _End you,_ as Bolin blew the kids a kiss. "Have fun, guys! Don't forget to listen on the radio!"

"Bye Daddy! Bye!" Bu waved after them, "Bye, Mommy!" They all watched and waved from the porch as the hired car pulled away before coming back inside. Bu shut the door behind him. All three children looked at Wei expectantly.

Wei looked back. 

The kids wouldn't stop staring at him. 

"Right. So. Yeah. What are we doing, here?"

San sighed. Not for the first time, Wei reflected that San sounded a whole lot like Mako when he sighed, which was kind of a funny thing, if you thought about it. "You're the grown up, Uncle Wei. You're supposed to tell us what we're doing." San's _I am so done with your shit_ tone sounded just like his mother, though.

"Right, right. So have you had lunch?"

"It's eight o'clock in the morning." Spirits, _just_ like his mother, that kid. Right down to the look on his face.

"I knew that! I'm just funnin' with you. So! What do you say? Zoo?"

"We went to the zoo last weekend with Uncle Wu." Damn, kid! San could stop busting his ass at any given time, here. Wei ran a hand through his hair, still staring at the kids. Bu was smiling encouragingly; San was watching him with the freaky copy of Opal look and Pearl chose that exact moment open her mouth and start to wail.

"Hey! Pearl! What's wrong, baby?" He stepped forward and took her out of San's arms, putting her up to his shoulder. "Hey, hey, now, why all the waterworks, hmm?" He glanced over her head to see both boys staring at his chest.

"Um...Uncle Wei?" Bu smiled nervously and pointed at him. Wei looked down to see a yellowy-brown stain spreading from Pearl's diapered butt across his shirt.

"Motherfu- uh, darn it! Darn it!" He tucked his niece under his arm and made for the nearest bathroom.

 

Forty-five minutes and a bath, a complete change of clothes for both uncle and niece and many swallowed curses later, Pearl was sitting happily on the floor, banging together two wooden blocks. San was reading a book on the sofa while Bu was drawing a picture with some crayons that looked like something Huan might have done in one of his weird modern art phases. Wei, on the other hand, was sprawled out on a chair, exhausted, which was just ridiculous. It wasn't even ten in the morning yet! How was he going to manage this for an entire weekend? It was his own damned fault, though. He'd been there at dinner when Opal had told Wu and Mako that she was thinking of going with Bolin to his big mover premiere party in Ba Sing Se, and everyone had obviously just assumed that the kids would be going to stay with Mako like they always did. Wu hadn't even said that they'd keep the kids, he'd just started talking to Opal about what she was going to wear. It had pissed him off a little bit. Or, you know, a lot. Sure, he didn't have kids of his own, but that didn't mean he couldn't take care of them. He loved these kids! So he had blurted out that he could watch the kids for the weekend, causing an instant hush around the table. His aunt had snorted her opinion of it and gone back to her food; Opal had instantly shot the idea down and Mako had looked both disdainful and skeptical in that way that only Mako could manage. That right there, that look Mako was giving him, was the last straw. So he'd pressed the case; told them why he wanted to do it, got Bu's enthusiastic support (thank you, Bu) and finally Bolin had come around, sweet talking Opal into it. He'd felt pretty triumphant about the whole thing until Qi had taken him aside privately after dinner and had expressed some concerns about his ability to handle things. 

That had hurt, actually; hurt more than the reactions of everyone else combined. Qi was supposed to be his friend, was supposed to have his back. He'd been so pissed off and hurt by it, as a matter of fact, that he hadn't talked to Qi for the past two weeks, not since that night at Mako's. Qi being Qi hadn't even gone after him about it, not like Opal would have if he'd done the same to her. Qi had just given him one of those looks Qi had - the one where Qi looked at you like you were the worst fuck up in the history of the world and Qi was going to go and cry about it - and let him be. And that hurt too. Wasn't he worth fighting for? Didn't even Qi care enough to fight for him?

"Uncle Wei, we promised Mommy we would go and visit Juicy to keep him company. Do you want to come with us?" There was Bu's happy little face. Wei ruffled his hair and stood up, scooping up Pearl on the way.

"Sure I will, but he better not sneeze on me like last time," he said, making a face, and was rewarded with a giggle from San, even.

 

Lunchtime was take out for the boys and some breast milk that Opal had put into pre-made bottles in the icebox for Pearl. She'd also said, in her very long and very detailed note, that Pearl appreciated mashed up peas, so with San's help Wei obliterated some cooked peas and while he was pretty sure most of it got _on_ her as opposed to _in_ her, Pearl seemed happy, so he considered it a success. Wei had absolutely no idea how women actually collected milk if a baby wasn't doing it for them. Did you milk them like hippo cows? The mental image of Bolin milking his sister was something he now needed to bleach out of his brain. He'd ask Qi - Qi always seemed to know about these kinds of things, for whatever inexplicable reason - but he wasn't talking to Qi. So never mind. Another change of clothes for Pearl and then he laid her down for a nap. She was a real chunker, Pearl; big thighs with rolls of chub and cheeks that looked like she had nuts stored in them. Probably what Bolin had looked like when he was a baby. He and Wing had been chunkers too; his mother had joked that hauling the two of them around had been like carrying boulders. She was pretty cute though, he had to admit. Poor Bu had been a fretful baby; thin and often sick, clinging to Opal most of the time. But Pearl had this great little giggle and black hair that stuck up in tufts all over her head and Bolin's bright green eyes. As babies went she was top notch, insofar as Wei was concerned.

He had just settled down to play a board game with the boys when the doorbell rang. He was a little wary; Bolin's address was kept pretty quiet for the most part, but sometimes fans took it upon themselves to just show up at the door, looking for autographs or more. When he looked through the peephole he saw his aunt, however, so he let her in.

"Aunt Lin!" cried the boys, abandoning their game to run and greet her.

"Don't get your sticky hands on me," she said, her face grouchy, but the boys knew better, hugging her to get begrudging hugs in return. "LoLo sent me over with some food for you." She nodded towards the bag she'd left by the door.

"Thanks, Aunt Lin," he said, and took it to the icebox.  When he came back the boys were gleefully spread out together on the sofa, a load of comic books in their hands. Comic books? He looked over at his aunt, who shrugged.

"So I stopped by the bookstore on my way over, what's it to you?" She sniffed. "Well, are you going to stand there or are you going to make me a cup of tea?"

Obviously he was going to be making a cup of tea, then. They left the boys to their comics and went into the kitchen, Wei getting busy with the kettle.

"So how's it going, then?"

Wei shot her a look. "It's only been half a day. I'm not _that_ incompetent, you know."

"Don't get your shorts in a twist, I was just making conversation." She was quiet as he went about the business of making them cups of tea. Once he'd sat down, however, she let him have it. "So. You want to tell me why it is you aren't talking to Qi?"

"No." He scowled into his cup.

"Let me rephrase that. Spill it, Wei."

He shoved at his tea cup petulantly. "Who are you, my mother?" 

"If I was your mother, I would have started this conversation by yelling at you."

She had a point there. He shrugged. "It's no big deal. And besides, it's Qi that's not talking to me."

"Bullshit." He glanced over to see her sitting back in her chair, eyebrows raised. "Hot steaming bullshit, at that. Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, but I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on. Just because Qi doesn't always show Qi's feelings doesn't mean Qi doesn't have them. You of all people should know this."

"I know that!"

"Then grow the fuck up and figure this out. You pissed off because Qi thought this weekend was a bad idea?"

Wei felt his face go hot. "Spirits, do you even know how to mind your own business?"

His aunt leaned forward and pointed her finger at his face. "You're my business. Qi's my business. My great-nephews and -niece are my business."

"Why does everyone think this is such a bad idea? Everyone except Bolin, that is."

His aunt scoffed. "First of all, Bolin would think it was a good idea to let that disgusting snot-nosed beast in the backyard watch these kids. You know I am fond enough of him in my own way, but Bolin doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground."  She pointed her finger again. "The reason we all think this is a bad idea is because you're irresponsible and you drink too damn much."

His mouth dropped open. "Spirits, Aunt Lin. Don't hold back or anything!"

She rolled her eyes at that. "I don't have the patience to dance around the subject." She dropped her hands to the table and sighed. "It's not a matter of whether or not you love these kids, Wei. We all know you love them. But you _are_ irresponsible. And you _do_ drink too much. What kind of mother would Opal be if she left her kids with someone who would get drunk while he was watching them?"

Wei's eyes filled up with tears and he refused to look at her. So this is what everyone thought of him, was it? Well, fuck them. Fuck _all_ of them.

"Damn it, Wei! Don't you know that we all care? We're your family, you idiot! Of course we care!" She leaned forward to put a hand on his arm. "Wei. I don't know what's going on with you. None of us do. But we want to help, can't you see that?"

Bu popped his head into the kitchen. "Aunt Lin, how come Qi is sitting in the car in the driveway? Doesn't Qi want to come in?"

Wei turned to look at his aunt. Her mouth was pursed, her chin stuck out in a way he recognized from his mother; she had made up her mind and nothing anyone said was going to change it. He was known to wear that look himself, on a fairly regular basis. She turned and gave Bu a little smile. "Well, why don't you run on out there and tell Qi I said it was okay to come in?"

"Okay!" Bu scampered off.

"So I don't even get asked? What if I don't want Qi here?" He wanted to be angry; he wanted to shout and rage at her. Instead, the tears were seeping down his cheeks. He scrubbed at them, swallowing past the rock lodged in his throat.

His aunt looked at him with something that, if he hadn't known better, might have been pity. "If Qi's here, everyone will be happier, including you. Let Qi help you. And for the love of Raava, boy, make it right with Qi. You're never going to have another friend as good as that one. Don't fuck it up over your damned stupid Beifong pride. Listen to what I'm telling you. You know I'm not talking out of my ass on that one."

He looked down at the table and nodded. She moved her hand to his shoulder and squeezed before standing up. "Well, I'll let you to it. I promised LoLo I'd stop off at the fishmarket on the way home and get him some fresh eel. That man is particular about his damned fish, too." She stood there for a moment, awkward, before giving his shoulder a second squeeze and then walking out of the kitchen.

He heard the boys greet Qi enthusiastically, heard the door shut behind his aunt, even heard the sound of the car starting up. He didn't move from the table. Was this how they all felt about him? That he was a fuck up? That he was someone that needed to be handled with white gloves, someone who could break down at any time? He was Wei Beifong! Nothing got him down! If they wanted to worry about someone then they should worry about Huan, having to be up on that mountain with Junior. Spirits knew what was going on up there. Sure, he enjoyed his parties. He was young! He deserved some fun every once in awhile. Besides, it wasn't like he couldn't stop whenever he wanted to. He just wasn't ready to settle down and give up his good times, that's all. He glanced up suddenly to see Qi leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, silent as always. Qi always had moved like a ghost; like a whisper of smoke, Qi disappearing and re-appearing out of nowhere. He couldn't understand it. He'd never walked into a room without making an entrance, never could stand to be somewhere unnoticed. 

"How did we ever become friends anyhow?" He hadn't meant to say it aloud, but the words were out now, hanging in the air between them. "We're nothing alike, I mean."

Qi stared at him for a long moment, face unreadable as usual. "Opposites attract, I guess." Most of Qi's dockside accent was gone now; the effort of months of work with a speech improvement course that Qi had bought, listening to the records and practicing on Qi's own. Qi always did what Qi put Qi's mind to. Qi was all self-made; Wei knew things about Qi's background that not even Wu knew, and he knew how strong Qi was, how determined, how fearless. How admirable.

Qi sure as shit wasn't the one staying up all night, stumbling home at dawn, not even able to remember where the drinks had come from, not even knowing the name of the strange man in the bed next to him. No, that was him; all Wei Beifong, fuck up extraordinaire. 

"I don't know what to do," he blurted out, his eyes filling up with tears again. "I don't know how it all got this way."

Qi understood, as always. Qi came across the room and pulled up a chair right next to him, wrapping Qi's arms around him. "I know," said that quiet voice. "But for this weekend you're going to stay here with me and we're going to keep these kids safe and taken care of, okay? Together."

"I'm not good enough for you," he said, trying not to sob. Qi's arms tightened.

"I know you don't think so. But I don't agree."

"Are you okay, Uncle Wei?" There was San, standing in the doorway, worried. He looked a lot like Bolin, but he had Opal's eyes, and those eyes were darting between Qi and him, trying to gauge the situation.

"Sometimes even grown ups have rough days," Qi said, and then smiled. "Your uncle's having a rough day, but it's going to be okay. I'm going to stay here too, until your folks get home. Okay?"

San's face brightened up. "You are?" At Qi's nod he ran back into the other room, and Wei overheard him telling Bu. Bu clapped his hands.

"Fuck. Even these kids don't want me around." 

Qi patted him on the back and stood up. "That's not true. They love you, they just don't understand what's going on, and that's scary for little kids." Qi dropped a kiss on the top of his head. "Come on. It's a nice day. When the baby wakes up from her nap we can go out in the backyard and let the kids play. We can have dinner out there on a blanket, make it like a picnic. They'll like that."

Wei dried off his eyes and stood up as well. He flashed Qi his best grin, winking at him. "We're all good, right? You and me?" His smile faltered as Qi didn't return his smile, staring at him.

"You hurt me," Qi said. "You're hurting everyone. Most of all you're hurting yourself. Something's got to give, Wei. I just hope you're still here when it does." Qi's head cocked to the side as the sound of the baby crying started up from across the house.

"Qi! Pearl's awake," Bu called from the other room, and Qi slipped out of the kitchen without another word. 

"I need a drink," Wei muttered to himself, and he stared down at his empty hands.


	59. A Morsel of Hearsay: The Spring Festival Committee Meets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Spring Festival Committee of Republic City meets for tea and a little conversation.

Jun-Yi clapped her beautifully manicured hands twice. "Ladies..." here a nod to Tsung-Han, who was languidly leaning against her marble fireplace "...and gentleman, we're all here, I believe, so I've rung for tea. If you'd all like to sit down?" She gestured gracefully towards the sitting area while keeping an eye on the door. "Oh wait, we're missing Risa, aren't we?" She frowned. "Perhaps she's not feeling well today."

"I spoke to her yesterday and she was fine. Tired, of course, but otherwise well." Koemi, the wife of a celebrity chef, was also frowning. "I hope she hasn't taken ill." There was a slight flurry at the door and Risa, the young aristocratic wife of the heir to Republic City's wealthiest shipping magnate, came into the room, escorted by Jun-Yi's butler.

"I am so sorry I'm late," she said, blushing prettily. "I fell asleep."

Jun-Yi smiled as she kissed both of her cheeks. "Darling, I remember the first trimester very well. It happens that way."

"Shiori once fell asleep in the middle of a conversation," said Tsung-Han with his well-known smirk. His wife was the editor-in-chief of _Snazzy Magazine_. "She even fell asleep in the middle of dinner."

With another graceful wave of Jun-Yi's hands, they all seated themselves, with Risa getting an extra throw pillow tucked behind her back, and the maid brought in the tea service.

"Now, first things first. As you can see, we are missing both Dihn and Wu today. Dihn won't be back until next week from his family holiday but he left me his notes. However, our Wu has been stricken with a dismal cold. I spoke to him this morning and he sounded exactly like a foghorn, the poor dear. He sends along his regrets." Jun-Yi handed a teacup to Risa first. "Here, darling, you look as if you could use it." With another one of her smiles, she nodded to the woman sitting on the sofa next to her. "Now! I would like to officially welcome Soon-Ja back to our little group. As some of you might remember, she was always a part of the Spring Festival Committee until her husband became the ambassador to the Northern Water Tribe fifteen years back. She has just recently returned to Republic City due to her divorce. Darling, we missed you so. Please tell me you did well with the settlement."

Soon-Ja, a ruthlessly attractive woman in her early fifties, sniffed. "Oh, I did well. I hope he enjoys his secretary, because he certainly won't be enjoying his money!" This garnered general laughter. "Thank you for having me back. Now, catch me up on everyone, please! Is it really true that King Wu has joined the committee?" She leaned in slightly.

"Oh, he's just Prince Wu now, of course, the abdication and all." Koemi took a custard tart. "Still a Hou-Ting, though. Can't get around that."

"We never got any of the good gossip up there." Soon-Ja shuddered delicately. "Dismal cold place, in more ways than one. So he's married, yes?" She debated before taking a small cookie.

"Oh yes, his husband's name is Mako. I like him very much." Risa smiled and took the sandwich Jun-Yi offered her.

"One of the best looking men in this city," threw in Xinyi, an heiress to a fortune made by her grandmother in real estate. She snapped open her fan and fanned herself. "Just devastating. Why Wu can't get him to wear something at least slightly revealing I will never know. He could at least do it for us!"

Risa giggled. "Poor Mako's a bit shy, I think. He's quite kind when you get to know him."

"Always so serious! He hardly ever smiles!" Xinyi leaned towards Soon-Ja. "All sort of dark and brooding." She shivered melodramatically. "Legs up to his chin, as well. He used to be a pro-bender, firebender. My husband says he's one of the best around."

Soon-Ja's eyes widened. "Prince Wu married a pro-bender?"

"Former. He's a police detective now, if you can believe it. Brother to Bolin, you know, the famous mover star?" Koemi took a second tart.

"Really! So who were his parents?" Soon-Ja leaned in ever further.

"He was orphaned when he and his brother were small boys. They grew up on the streets, a very sad story. He's a self-made man." Risa took another sip of her tea. "Wu loves him utterly, they are completely devoted to each other."

"Mako's lovely. He does make Wu happy, and he's a good father to the children." Jun-Yi passed a teacup to Tsung-Han. "They've three of them now. Two girls and a boy. Very well-behaved children, they do their parents credit. The oldest girl is quite an accomplished bender, I understand. Didn't you see her Demi Kai last month at Princess Juziya's investiture, Risa?"

Risa nodded. "Yes, Hong and I were there with my parents for the investiture and we went to see it, of course. Naoki was magnificent. Truly. She's quite a gifted firebender, a real prodigy. Zhi and little Meili are darlings as well." She blushed again. "You know, I wasn't sure about getting pregnant but Mako took me for lunch and reassured me quite a great deal about it. He really is sweet."

"Never say that you and Mako..." Xinyi trailed off as Risa scowled.

"Certainly not, and I will thank you not to suggest it. Besides, Hong and I have made no secret of the fact that Hong's brother provided us with the necessary means to have the baby." Risa's chin went up. "I don't prefer men but even if I did, Mako is quite devoted to Wu."

"No doubt about that at all. Not even a whiff of scandal about the two of them lately." Tsung-Han took a sip of his own tea. "It's rather disappointing, actually."

"Oh, but what about that driver of Wu's? Or is he still a driver? I'm not sure. I'm not even sure if he is a he!" Xinyi sat back with a satisfied expression. "There has to be some scandal there!"

"That's Qi," Risa said. "Qi is just Qi...the family doesn't refer to Qi as he or she, just as Qi." She shrugged. "I'm not sure I understand it, but it really doesn't matter if I do or don't. I do like Qi, though." She nibbled on her sandwich.

"Did you see that white jumpsuit he wore at Wu's last party!" Xinyi leaned towards Soon-Ja. "I couldn't believe it. So very daring! So utterly chic! From Wu's driver, no less! I was simply sick with envy!"

"My wife nearly lost her mind when she saw it. It took a lot of cajoling on her part but she finally got Qi to agree to do a photo shoot with it for _Snazzy_. It will be in the issue that comes out next week." Tsung-Han put his finger to his lips. "Not that it is public knowledge or anything, so keep it on the hush, please. She got one of Asami Sato's brand new Satomobiles that literally just came off the line for the photo shoot as well. I've seen the proofs." His smile curved up slowly. "Breathtaking, darlings. I had no idea that Wu's driver could look like that. Amazing what some cosmetics and the right kind of lighting will do for a person."

Risa blinked and lowered her teacup. "Really! I'm rather surprised by that. Qi has always been so very reserved."

Tsung-Han shrugged. "Shiori said she was quite uncomfortable at first. It took a lot to get her relaxed and into the shoot. Although that's quite common with people who aren't models, they aren't used to the process. But once she got over her initial hesitation she really blossomed. She's not at all the type Shiori usually prefers - Qi's so angular, you know, with those severe cheekbones and that long face and neck. But Shiori says that it makes her very versatile. You could literally make her look however you wanted her to." Tsun-Han took another sip of tea. "Shiori paid her, of course, but she told her to give the money directly to Wu's charity."

Jun-Yi tapped her lip absently. "Wu hasn't said a thing about it to me."

"I don't believe Wu knows, actually." Tsung-Han put his finger to his lips again. "On the hush, ladies. On the hush."

Risa sat back against her throw pillow. "My goodness. Well, I look forward to seeing it."

Xinyi thought for a moment. "Isn't he dating Wei Beifong?"

Risa shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I think they are just friends."

"Beifong?"  Soon-Ja paused in the middle of putting the cookie to her mouth. "Related to those Beifongs?"

Jun-Yi nodded. "A son of Suyin Beifong, Toph Beifong's daughter. You know, the matriarch of Zaofu?" At Soon-Ja's nod she continued. "He earthbends for the Zaofu Zorillas pro-bending team."

"He's good," Koemi said. "Gorgeous, too, but he bends for the other team, sad to say."

"Speak for yourself," Tsung-Han said, and that got a laugh from the ladies.

Soon-Ja frowned suddenly. "Aren't we missing Misaki?" At the exchanged glances from the other committee members she put her hand to her mouth. "Oh dear. I've stepped right into it, haven't I?"

Jun-Yi cleared her throat tactfully. "Misaki is no longer a member of the committee. She had some rather...unfortunate...things to say about Wu's children and we thought it best to let her go."

Xinyi snorted. "Oh, we've all had unfortunate things to say on most topics, it wasn't that. It's that she said them to Wu's oldest girl! Right to the child's face!"

Soon-Ja's eyes widened. "She didn't!"

Xinyi shook her head. "She did. And as you all know, I am the worst gossip in Republic City. But I would never even dream of repeating it to a child! Even I have standards!" A murmur of agreement from around the room.

Jun-Yi tsked. "Not only did she say it to little Naoki but she said it in front of Lin Beifong. I don't think I'd have the nerve to say anything derogatory about that family in front of Lin Beifong!"

Xinyi waved her hand in dismissal. "You wouldn't catch me doing it, I can tell you that much. Lin Beifong is a veritable she-dragon!"

Soon-Ja cocked her head. "You mean the police chief? Toph Beifong's other daughter?"

Jun-Yi nodded. "Retired now, but yes. That Lin Beifong. Wu bought the old Beifong mansion from her when he came back to Republic City after he abdicated."

"Such style," sighed Koemi. "He remodeled it completely. I swear that man has more style in his pinkie finger than I have ever even dreamed of having, even with my decorator! That ballroom! Those chandeliers!" She leaned forward towards Soon-Ja. "Not to mention he's personal friends with Huan Beifong and has several of his pieces. I'd kill to get one of those! He hardly ever puts them up for sale." She nodded towards Soon-Ja. "He sells some of his pieces in Ba Sing Se. Kwong's Cuisine was so desperate for one that they sent someone all the way there just to purchase it!"

"Lin helps Wu out with his charity now. Wu told me it was her idea to renovate the old Republic City bank building near the spirit portal into the center for the children." Risa gratefully took another serving of tea, nodding her thanks to Jun-Yi. "It's almost completed. Wu took Hong and me to see it a few weeks ago. It has a library and a kitchen to make meals for the children, plus the top story has cots for the children to sleep in. One of Wu's first street children is going to work there full time as the cook. Cork is his name, he's really quite personable. He studied with Wu's cook for a few years before apprenticing at some of the restaurants in town. Didn't he work for a time with your husband, Koemi?"

Koemi nodded. "He did. Chien thinks well of him. They've made arrangements with him to provide him with all of Kwong's leftover food. You know how Wu is, he's just tireless on behalf of the children." She glanced at Soon-Ja. "Our Wu has a charity he started for the street children. He teaches them to read and write, makes sure they get at least one meal a day. He's quite devoted to it."

Jun-Yi nodded. "He really is a dear man. He goes out of his way to find work for the children as they get older, as well. In fact, I've got one of his little protégés apprenticing with my head gardener right now. And the woman that won the University prize in science last year was Spring, another one of his protégés. She's quite brilliant, I understand. Wu was the one who taught her to read and write and he sponsored her education at the University as well. Her brother Jin-Jin is a doorman at the Four Elements." Jun-Yi smiled. "Wu's very sincere in his efforts to help these children. It's more than lip service for him. I quite genuinely admire him for it."

"He even sent one of his little street rats down to the Southern Water Tribe a few years back to study with Master Kya, a little waterbending girl." At the looks given her way, Xinyi snorted. "What? I don't only deal in negative gossip, you know. Even I have to admire what he does, and you all know I am a terrible cynic."

"Darling, don't go all soft on us now," Tsung-Han waggled his finger at her. "The oldest princess is in the same class with our Keiko at Plumwood Academy. The prince gets tutored at home though, doesn't he?"

Risa nodded. "Wu felt it would be better to tutor Zhi at home." She laughed. "Even I can't keep up with that child. I pity his poor tutor! I am sure she is quite earning her money!"

"Mathuram." Jun-Yi offered another sandwich for Risa. "Darling, do take it, you're eating for two now. Mathuram was a professor at Republic City University until they let her go two years ago. Some scandal about her theory that it is possible to create machines that can think for themselves, much like humans. Can you imagine!" She shook her head. "Everyone knows it's simply impossible and the woman refused to back down! In any case, Wu just recently hired her for Prince Yaozhi. Not my first choice, but you know how Wu is. Once he gets an idea into his head he won't drop it. He told me that he values people who think differently. In any case, she's certainly qualified to educate the boy, despite her odd ways." 

Xinyi rolled her eyes. "Well, when you are a prince I suppose you can hire whomever you like, and who is to argue with you?"

Jun-Yi put her teacup down with a decisive clink. "Well, in any case, you will meet him soon enough, Soon-Ja. He's in charge of decorations, so I think we'll skip over that today since he's not with us. Koemi, did you get that estimate on serving both the tarts as well as the coconut cakes at the reception? No, darling, please swallow first, we'll wait!"


	60. An Uncomplicated Sojourn: Lin Meets LoLo's Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin and LoLo visit his parents for the first time. Per several requests on Tumblr!

Lin studied herself in the hotel mirror. _Can't make a silk purse out of a moo-sow's ear_ , the old saying went, but she knew she was an attractive woman, as far as that all went. The scars on her face were unfortunate, but she'd come to terms with all that years ago. She'd tried, for a time, to cover them with cosmetics but it only made her feel more self-conscious about them and she'd stopped. She was still in damn good shape for a woman in her sixties; she kept up her training and while she wasn't as slender as she was at twenty, she was still in fighting trim. She knew of people that used dyes to keep their hair black but it had always looked harshly artificial to her and she'd rather just let her hair do its own thing anyhow. At least she managed to keep her thick and rather coarse waves in check for the most part.

She had always worn trousers when she wasn't working. She needed to be able to move at a moment's notice and skirts certainly hampered that kind of thing. Most of her civvies had been fairly utilitarian as far as that went; well made tunics and trousers, mostly in shades of flattering green or gray, tucked into a pair of knee-high laced up boots (with metal soles, of course). She'd never been much for florals or any other kind of busy patterns; she had always felt faintly ridiculous as far as all that went, what with her height and build. She'd never pass as a man, though, not the way Yumi often did. Besides, she had her own sense of style. It worked for her.

It was Qi who had approached her after she had mentioned at dinner a few weeks back that she was going to finally meet LoLo's parents. Qi had a fashion magazine in hand and had shown her a photograph of a woman in a pair of loose and flowing trousers under a hip-length tunic that narrowed in at the waist. _Thought it might look real nice on you, bein' retired an' all that,_ Qi had said, staring down at the floor, trying to bluff out what was clearly nervousness on Qi's part. She'd agreed, and had borrowed the magazine and taken it to the seamstress she had do most of her clothes. She'd even gone so far as to have a pair of flats with metal soles in a neutral color made to match. She was wearing the resulting outfit for the first time and she was pleased; both the short-sleeved tunic and trousers were a pale jade linen and Qi had embroidered decorative spirals in thread that was the same color, adding depth to the outfit without making it gaudy or showy. Wu had commented on the needlework and Lin realized that he had no idea it was Qi behind the needle. Well, that was for Qi to share, not her. She wasn't about to betray the few things Qi had told her in private to anyone else, not even LoLo. Lin Beifong was a woman who knew how to keep her trap shut.

She pulled out a tube of lipstick from her bag and applied it. She looked nice and it wasn't like she didn't know how to meet people and make polite chit-chat. She swore half of being the damned chief of police was about polite chit-chat. Chit-chat with the president, chit-chat with civic leaders, chit-chat with the press. Although she had been gradually transitioning a fair amount of that over to Song the past few years, preparing for her eventual retirement. He was better at the political side of all of it, that's for damn sure. She'd done it, of course - all part of the job - but she'd never had much patience for it. At least she did better with all of that than her mother had. She remembered Aang shutting his eyes and sighing silently when her mother would let one of her creative insults fly at the United Republic council members back in the day.

"You're a damn knockout," said LoLo. He was leaning against the doorjamb of the bathroom, grinning at her. "I'd suggest that we show up late for dinner but my mother'd never let me hear the end of it."

"Oh, that's exactly what I'd need to make a good first impression," she said, leaning forward to blot her lipstick. 

"I keep telling you, they are going to love you." He stared at her reflection before coming to put his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder, smiling at her in the mirror. "They are nice, uncomplicated people. No family drama here, I promise."

She sighed. "I know, I know. You keep telling me."

"Try to believe me then, okay? Anyhow, let's get a move on, I called for the cab and it should be waiting downstairs." He picked up the bag with the gifts for his parents before taking her hand and giving her a little tug; she let him pull her along, remembering to grab her handbag on the way out of the bathroom. Down the elevator and into the cab; once LoLo had given the address to the driver he sat back and smiled at her as the car pulled away and made its way down the street. "They don't live in the Imperial Caldera part of the city, of course, but Firelord Zuko was always more than fair with his salary and Firelord Izumi was as well. We grew up in a good solid middle-class neighborhood in the hills. My folks moved to a smaller place when they retired and left the house we'd grown up in to my oldest sister and her husband and their brood. Natsumi has ten kids." He laughed. "She outdid my mother by one. She used to joke with me that she was making up for all the grandkids I never gave them."

Lin cocked her head. "Do you think it bothered them? That you never had kids?"

LoLo was quiet for a moment. "At first, probably. Me being the oldest and all, too." He shrugged. "They've got thirty-three grandchildren at this - oh no wait, make that thirty-four, my youngest brother's wife had her baby last month. A boy. A few great-grandchildren already as well." He smiled. "Plenty to carry on the legacy, for sure. I'm not even the only cook."

"Right, your sister is head chef at the palace?"

His smile widened. "Shiza. Better cook than I am, truth be told. You've got her to thank for my komodo chicken, that's her variation on the traditional recipe I'm always using at home."

Lin had never done anything but pass through the Harbor City part of Capital Island, always on her way to the palace. She'd come a few times as a girl to the palace, of course, thanks to her mother's relationship to Firelord Zuko. She had known Izumi as a child but Izumi was much older, Bumi's age. She was nice enough, but always so formal, even then. It came from her mother, a woman whom her own mother had never liked. _Cold damn fish,_ she'd overheard her mother saying one night when they had all come to the palace see Izumi's investiture as the crown princess. Her mother had been sitting on the terrace of their guest room, drinking, when Sokka had joined her. _I think he only married her because your sister was already taken._ Sokka, already fairly far along in his cups, had only snorted. _They would have eaten Katara alive over here. Water Tribe girl? She would have been miserable._ Her mother had been quiet for a time and then: _Well, it's Zuko that's miserable now._ And then her mother had shouted at her to get her ass back to bed and Lin had gone, always obedient.

"Not a lot of cars here," she observed, watching out the window as they drove away from the Royal Plaza area where the hotel was located. 

"The tram system is so good that there are only a few cars on the whole island," the cab driver said. "Mostly just folks like me who make their living with them."

"Huh," she said, and reached out to entwine her fingers with LoLo's. He pointed out his window with his other hand, up the mountain to the Caldera, where the Palace and the Imperial City were located.

"There are trams that go up to the Caldera. Pretty much all of the folks that work up there live down here. It's a long and steep climb, what with the switchbacks and all. I wouldn't want to walk up and down it on a daily basis."

"It's just the nobility that lives up there, right?"

LoLo nodded. "They're all on top of each other, too. Tiny tall houses crammed next to each other without a yard in sight." He shrugged. "Status thing, I guess. Who understands how the nobility works? Weird bunch." He dropped a wink her way and laughed as she affectionately flicked him on the head.

They wound their way up the hill on the south side of the city, through clean streets with well-spaced houses, neat and cared for. Children were playing on the sidewalks and in parks, and she saw a few people out with poodle monkeys or prams. LoLo pointed again. "If we drove up that street we'd come to my parents' old house, a few blocks down. We'll visit tomorrow. It's an enormous place, it was always full of noise and people. Still is, with my sister's family there. There's a reason my folks retired to their own little quiet home instead of staying there, believe me. Ah! Here we are!" The cab pulled over next to a small house, dark wood with cheerful red trim. LoLo paid the driver and gave Lin a hand out of the cab. "It's going to be fine," he murmured and gave her hand a squeeze. They walked through the gate and the front door flew open, revealing two people in their late seventies. Lin recognized them from LoLo's family photo at home; his father, still hale, with the same wiry build as LoLo; his mother, with LoLo's wide-set coppery eyes and that exact same dimple curving in her cheek. She took a deep internal breath and reminded herself not to glare.

"Mom! Dad!" LoLo said, with genuine pleasure in his voice. He drew his mother in first for a big hug, only releasing her as she laughed, a little breathless. Next up was a hug for his father, who kissed his cheek, his eyes shining with tears. LoLo turned back to her. "Let me introduce you to Lin Beifong. Lin, these are my parents, Kazuko and Tomio."

"It is our pleasure," his mother, Kazuko said, smiling and bowing. "Welcome to our home."

"Well, Lozan told us you were a beautiful woman and he sure wasn't kidding," said his father, beaming at her, bowing as well. Lin returned the bow, smiling a little to herself. _Like father like son._

Kazuko stretched a hand out. "Please, do come in." She took Lin's hand in hers and drew her gently in. "Father's been cooking up a storm all day. I kept trying to put my spoon in but he wouldn't let me take a step inside the kitchen."

"Well, it's a special occasion! How could I do less than fourteen courses!" Tomio beamed again. "Now, you two visit with Mother here while I go and finish things up. It'll be a few more minutes."

Kazuko gave them a short tour of their small home. It was uncluttered, with simple furniture that was nevertheless of a very high quality, with a few pieces of artwork that had clearly been made by children. Lin was promised a glimpse of the kitchen the next day. "Father won't want us to interrupt him now!" The sliding doors to the small garden in the back were open, letting in the fragrant air. At Lin's interest she smiled again. "Our oldest granddaughter is the one keeping up the garden for us. I'm afraid Father and I both have black thumbs!" She laughed. "Please, let's take a seat while we wait for dinner."

As they sat, Lin pulled out a small package from the bag LoLo had carried. "A gift. I hope you'll accept it." 

Kazuko's cheeks flushed a little. "Oh, you are so kind! Many thanks!" She opened the tissue paper and pulled out a beautiful yellow silk scarf, embroidered with a delicate smattering of blossoms. She ran it through her fingers, her eyes shining. "Oh, Lin. This is just exquisite! Thank you!"

"Did Qi do it?" At Lin's nod, LoLo pointed at the embroidery. "Qi did that. You remember, the little driver I told you about?"

"Oh yes, the child off the streets? Oh my, what skill!" Kazuko fingered the scarf carefully. LoLo caught Lin's eye and gave her a smile and a little nod; his mother truly liked the gift. She was glad. She'd been nervous, trying to figure out what she could bring. It's not like her own mother would have been helpful; she very much doubted Toph Beifong had ever given a hostess gift in her life. Kazuko looked up to meet Lin's eyes. "Lozan tells us all of what's going on, you know."

"Speaking of which, Mom, I brought you the latest picture." He pulled a framed photograph out of the bag. There were the children; Naoki smiling into the camera, her front teeth in the process of growing in, Zhi with his eyes round in his surprise at the flash, baby Meili with her already thick curls ornamented by a big bow. His mother took it and ran her fingers down the contours of the frame, a wistful smile on her face.

"They're just getting bigger every day, aren't they? I can't wait to show it to Father." She stood up to put it in a cabinet with glass doors that housed an entire wealth of family photographs. "Now tell me, Lozan, how does little Naoki's bending go?" 

LoLo told her about Naoki's bending progress while Lin sat quietly. His parents were both benders, she knew, but they'd never done much more than light cooking fires with it. It was hard for her to reconcile it; not growing up the way she had, obviously. LoLo had always been utterly unconcerned by the limits of his own bending, though, the same way he never worried about not being able to drive or the fact that he was just slightly shorter than Lin herself. He'd just shrug and say that life was what it was, and he was content with the life he had. Sitting here in his parents' comfortable home she could well understand where he'd gotten that attitude. LoLo was not a complicated man. She would have turned up her nose at him when she'd been young, of course; he wasn't ambitious enough, not tall enough, too young for her, his bending wasn't much more than a sputter and a fizz. And would he have loved her? She'd been so damn angry in those days, so desperate to prove herself, lacking in both humor and insight. No. They'd met each other at exactly the right time. She watched him, his face animated as it always was, waving his hands to show some mishap Naoki had had with one of the camellia trees in the garden, that dimple winking in and out of sight. He was always so damn glad to see her, and he never hid it, either. He was never afraid to touch her, not even when she'd had a bad day at work and was tense and seething. He'd listen without comment until she'd gotten all of the venom out before turning off the lights and taking her into his arms, whispering all of his endearments into her ears, his long deft fingers soothing circles into her skin, taking away all of her cares of the day. _Put those shoulders down, old girl,_ he'd murmur. _Just be here with me, just me. Tomorrow's another day. You can go back to it tomorrow. Tonight, be with me._

His father came out and told them that dinner was ready. It was, indeed, fourteen courses; the kind of meal that they would have cooked for the Imperial Family once upon a time. Lin was cognizant of the honor being paid to her. It was also the most delicious meal she had ever eaten; each course small and perfect, plated with care for color and smell and appeal. She took her time eating and found herself drawn into the family conversation; the news about LoLo's niece that had just announced her engagement, the new grandson, the son-in-law that had switched jobs, the great-grandchild who had taken a tumble out of a tree and had ended up with a broken collarbone. She found herself telling them about how the newly completed direct train line between Zaofu and Republic City meant that she saw her sister far more often. Kazuko had patted her hand at that and smiled at her. LoLo, despite his father's protests, helped him bring in the courses, giving his father the wine they'd brought from Chow's vineyard and his father had opened the wine with delight, letting it rest before serving it. When the dinner was over they sat and chatted, Tomio explaining that one of the grandchildren would be over in the morning to do all of the dishes for some extra pocket money. 

Eventually LoLo stood up and took the bag they'd brought with them. His parents smiled at him. Lin knew where he was going; they had discussed it before they arrived. She followed him out to a small shrine in the garden, where he laid out the flowers, incense and the candle he brought. He also laid an offering of candy before gently lighting the candle and incense. He sighed, his eyes filling with tears. "Juza," he murmured, and Lin knelt next to him, putting her hand on his shoulder, staying with him until he was ready to leave.

They went back into the house where they had tea with his parents. They were tiring, though, and LoLo finally stood up and kissed them both. "We'll see you tomorrow," he said. They both bowed at Lin and she bowed back, thanking them again for the meal and the hospitality. As they were walking out Tomio made a joke and he and LoLo laughed uproariously together, eyes creasing up in the same way. Kazuko took that moment to put her hand on Lin's arm. "I've never seen him so happy," she said quietly. "Never. Thank you for all of the happiness you've brought to my son." 

They walked down the well-lit street together, hand in hand. "I thought we'd take the tram back," LoLo said. "It runs all night. The stop is just up the street here." There was a young woman with a baby in a pram waiting in the opposite direction; when her tram arrived LoLo helped her get the pram aboard and waved her off. "Ours will be along in a few minutes," he said, and then tugged her behind a tree and kissed her, grinning at her as she laughingly pushed at his chest.

"Are we teenagers?" she asked, and he tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear before kissing her again, more slowly and deeply this time.

"Thank you for coming," he said, when he finally pulled away, leaving her a little breathless. "It really did mean the world to my parents."

"You were right, of course. They are very nice people."

He cupped her face in his hands. "What you see is what you get with my family," he said, serious for once. "We just are who we are. And I am a man who loves you, Lin Beifong." She stared back into his eyes until he broke away suddenly, grabbing her and yanking her around the tree, waving down the approaching tram. He paid for them both and they found a seat together near the back, the tram mostly empty. Lin put her hand in his and he put his arm around her, her head automatically going to his shoulder. She smiled as she felt him kiss the crown of her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More information (and a picture!) of the Capital City [here.](http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Fire_Nation_Capital)
> 
> [A wonderful illustration of Lin's outfit by Amira.](http://amiraelizabeth.tumblr.com/post/150212389366/ourimpavidheroine-wrote-a-drabble-where-lin-is) Posted with the artist's gracious permission.
> 
>  


	61. An Unexpected Transfiguration: Modeling for Snazzy Magazine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako reads a fashion magazine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place a week after chapter 58.

Mako walked in the door to the station, his partner Chiyo shaking her head as she lengthened her stride to keep up with him. "No point in trying to go poking around there after dark," she said. "What say you meet me out there around nine tomorrow morning? He should be there by then."

"Yeah, that's fine. Do you..." he trailed off as he saw Lin Beifong perched on one of the desks in the bullpen, smirking at something Ran was saying, Song grinning next to her. 

Chiyo grinned as well. "Hey Chief!" 

Lin looked up and twitched her chin at her. "I'm not the Chief anymore, remember? Can't you assholes get anything right?"

"You'll always be the Chief to us," Song said, meeting her eyes.

Lin snorted. "You people need to get lives or something." Her head cocked to the side. "Well, except for Hiro. He just needs to get laid." There were whoops of laughter from the other cops and Hiro threw an obscene hand gesture her way.

"Cold, Chief! Ice cold!" protested Hiro.

Lin shifted off the desk. "All right, you slackers.  Mako's back, so as long as it's okay with the real chief here, I'm going to grab him before someone else finds something for him to do."

Song jerked his thumb Mako's way, still smiling. "He was officially off duty ten minutes ago. Get the hell out of here, Mako. See you tomorrow."  He clapped a hand to Lin's shoulder. "Don't be a stranger, okay? We miss your crusty old ass over here, believe it or not."

"Sad," Lin shot back, but Mako could tell she was pleased. She nodded towards the door. "Come on. Let me buy you a drink." She walked out of the bullpen, throwing back a wave as good-byes were shouted her way.

"What's wrong? Is it one of the kids? Is it Wu?" Mako frowned, staring down at her. "What happened?"

Lin put a hand on his arm. "Nothing's wrong. The kids are fine. Your husband's fine. No, don't give me that look. Everyone's fine. Come on, we can go to Tao's around the corner." When Mako tried to stop to question her again she gave him a yank. "Slow your damn tits, Mako. Can't I take you for a drink every once in awhile?"

"No," he said, and she rolled her eyes at him, continuing to walk around the corner into Tao's, a neighborhood bar frequented by the police force. "Two whiskeys," she told the bartender, who threw his cloth over his shoulder before reaching for glasses. "Make them doubles while you're at it." Once she'd dropped some yuan on the bar and taken the glasses in her hands, she made her way towards a booth in the back, secluded and quiet. "Let's sit here." They sat down, and she slid his glass across the table. "Bottoms up," she said, clinking her glass against his and taking a swig of her whiskey. 

Mako took a cautious sip, staring at her, his eyes narrowed. "You want to tell me what this is all about? And don't give me any of that just want to have a drink shit, either. I'm not that dumb."

Lin waved her hand dismissively. "Just drink your damn whiskey, Mako. Go on. I'll order us another round and get to it." She waved down the bartender and he brought them two more glasses. Mako drank his first glass down with a sullen pout. "There, did that kill you? You're as damn suspicious as you were when you were nineteen."

"You tossed my ass in jail when I was nineteen for something I didn't do," he said, giving her a glare that could peel paint.

"Look, I told you then it was to keep you out of the way. You know I had my suspicions about Varrick being in bed with the Triple Threats and Viper wouldn't have needed any kind of excuse to come after you for putting your nose in it. That man has no love for you as you damn well know. I'd still like to know what Zolt's got holding over him that he leaves you be."

Mako ignored this to run a hand through his hair. "Fine. Whatever. I drank the damn drink. You want to tell me what this is about?" His face blanched. "Spirits, you aren't sick or anything?" His jaw tensed up. Lin quickly reached across to put her hand on his.

"No. Mako, no. Nothing like that, I swear. Look...I'm sorry, I just wanted to talk to you about something and I wanted some privacy for it. I give you my word that the whole family is fine, and that includes me."

She sat back and gestured at his second drink before she took a hit of her own. "So. You haven't had a chance to take a look at this month's _Snazzy Magazine_ , have you?"

Mako's hand, clutched around his own glass, froze in midair as he stared at her. "I...what?"

She shrugged with a bit of forced nonchalance. "Wu's copy arrived in the mail today."

Mako didn't move. "Okay?" One eyebrow scrolled up slowly.

Lin looked over his shoulder. "Just wondering if you'd seen it, that's all."

Mako's glass hit the table with a thunk. "You thought I was looking at Wu's fashion magazine." It wasn't a question.

"Just a question, Mako, no need to get snippy with me."

"I don't spend a lot of time looking at Wu's fashion magazines. For the record. I'm pretty sure you already know that, though. So. Is there are reason I shouldn't be looking at this one?" His eyes were narrowing again and his knee was starting to jiggle the way it did when he got agitated.

Lin sighed noisily and dug into her bag and pulled out a copy of _Snazzy,_ opening it and sliding it across the table to him. "Page sixty-three," she said, and downed the rest of her whiskey in one gulp.

Mako licked his forefinger and started paging through the magazine, scowling. "I don't...." He stared down at the glossy pages. "The fuck?" He murmured, his eyes widening. 

There, in the pages of Wu's favorite fashion magazine, was Qi. There was text as well; something about Republic City's new style icon, but Mako ignored that to stare at Qi, dressed in the familiar white jumpsuit (the one Mako privately thought of as _his_ jumpsuit), posed on Qi's back, staring up at the camera provocatively from the hood of a Satomobile. The satin spilled and flowed across the expanse of the metal, the black and white of the photo making the shadows alluring, picking up Qi's high, angular cheekbones and caressing the long column of Qi's neck. Qi's arms in the bolero jacket were outstretched and Qi's feet were bare, giving the photo a more intimate quality. Mako swallowed, hard.

"There's more," Lin said, and her voice was resigned. Mako turned the page. Qi was dressed in one of Qi's suits this time; even in black and white Mako knew it was the one that was the subdued blueberry and light grey striped wool. This time Qi was fully dressed; shoes and all. Mako even recognized the tie pin Huan had made. Qi was standing on the running board of the Satomobile, hat cocked at a rakish angle, a cigarette held elegantly in one hand. Mako's own gloved hand slid to the picture on the opposite page, a close up of Qi wearing the same outfit. Qi had on makeup, something that shocked Mako. He'd never seen Qi wear makeup before. Qi's lips were painted some sort of deep glossy color, and there was blush on those cheekbones, Qi's eyes made up to look somehow smoky and smoldering. The juxtaposition with the severe lines of the suit and the trilby hat dipped over one eye was unsettling. Exciting. Wildly attractive. "I...don't..." Mako snatched his hands away.

Lin sighed again. "Last one," she said, and flipped the page herself. This one was taken from the back seat of the Satomobile; Qi was looking back at the photographer in the rearview mirror, Qi's shoulders showing above the line of the driver's seat. Those same said shoulders were bare; Qi had a white camellia tucked behind one ear, and the obvious makeup had been removed. The lighting was brilliant; Qi's hand; the cigarette with the smoke spiraling up; the teasing expression on Qi's face. The mirror showed just enough skin to be interesting, but not enough to disclose gender. It was a brilliant photograph.

Mako met Lin's eyes. "Did you..."

Lin shook her head. "None of us did. Wu had no idea. You can imagine his surprise when it came and he saw the front cover." She reached forward and turned it to show him the cover. It was a painting of Qi, hair slicked back, face made up, in a shirt and tie, suspenders visible over Qi's shirt.

"Qi doesn't wear suspenders," Mako said. He tapped his finger on the painting, looking at Lin with an almost pleading expression in his eyes. "Qi never wears suspenders. Qi always wears belts."

Lin put her hand over his. "It's a fashion shoot, Mako. Not that I've ever done one, mind, but I don't know if it is so much about what Qi wears as it is about the effect."

 _The Transfiguration of Qi_ was the teaser next to Qi on the front cover. _Republic City's New Fashion Icon._ "Since when is Qi a fashion icon?" Mako felt like crying, and he couldn't figure out why. "Qi's just Qi."

"You know that's not true. You know how much Qi loves fashion." Lin's voice was gentle, but firm. "That's been going on for quite some time now. Not the posing for photographs part, but developing a taste for fashion."

"I don't like it," he said, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Mako. It doesn't matter if you like it or not. It's not your choice to make."

He kept shaking his head, over and over again, the words he wanted escaping him. "Qi just can't...it's not..."

Lin reached forward and took his chin in her hand; it startled him so much he froze in place again, looking right at her. "Mako. I think I have a pretty good idea how you feel about Qi. I was here for Korra, remember? For Asami, and your husband as well. I know you fairly well by now. And I am telling you, you had better figure this out. Because Qi's not that kid following you around like a puppy anymore, hoping for your attention, desperate for any scrap of your praise." The backs of her fingers brushed gently across his cheek, and his throat ached. She took her hand away. "You're always so black and white. You've never done gray very well. You struggle so damn hard to force things to your will that you end up burning everything down and I am telling you, you do not want to do that this time. Do you hear me? This is already done. It's out there. It was out of your hands before you even knew to look to see what was gone. Qi's been running towards who Qi wants to be and you've closed your eyes to it. You can't put Qi back into a box of your own making just because you don't know how to deal with yourself. You pulled this shit on Wu and damn near lost him. Figure it out, and do something about it, damn you." Her fingers grasped his chin firmly this time. "I say this with love, you know."

"I know," he said, miserable. She tapped his chin twice and took her fingers away again and he closed his eyes, bringing his fingers up to pinch at the bridge of his nose.

"Wu made me promise to bring it back in good shape, he wants to show the kids. He also made me promise to pick up at least ten copies on the way home. He wants to mail a copy to Zaofu and to Huan and Ikki, I don't know where all. He was tickled pink over the whole thing, kept gushing on and on about it."

"Where's Qi?"

"Been scarce all day. Maybe back home by now, I don't know." They sat there in silence for awhile, Mako flipping the magazine back to the final picture of Qi, inviting the viewer to speculate about who Qi was. What Qi was. Since when had Qi done that? Qi had always been resigned to people's constant speculation about Qi's gender, mostly choosing to just ignore it as best as Qi could, staying in the shadows. These photographs, however, were different. They were playful; an acknowledgement of Qi's refusal to bow down to convention, an open acceptance of who Qi had always been. They were sexy, too; the photographer had made Qi look glamorous as well as mysterious, appealing to everyone. Mako knew next to nothing about fashion, but these photographs were good.

It wasn't that Qi hadn't always known who Qi was. Even on that first day, when he had hauled Qi into the station and Qi had sat at his desk, eating the lunch Wu had brought, Qi had known who Qi was. Qi had been hungry and desperate, true. But always so damned determined. Qi in Wu's too large old bathing suit, legs and arms thrashing in the water, determined to learn to swim. Qi in Yumi's dojo, spinning with those knives, determined that no one would ever lay a hand on Wu ever again. Qi sitting with Meili, reading her favorite picture book, determined to be a part of the children's lives. This was just another step down Qi's path, and Mako knew it was no accident. It never was, with Qi.

Was Qi walking away, though? Was that where Qi's path led? Away from their family, away from their home, away from the past nine years? Away from _him_?

He was horrified to realize that a single tear had slid down his cheek. He flicked a look at Lin to see if she had noticed; of course she had. She sighed. "Oh, Mako." She took his scarred hand in her own, her fingers tightening gently around the leather of his glove. "Why do you always have to make everything so damn hard on yourself?"

"Why do you?"

That got him a smile. "If I ever figure it out, I'll let you know." She stood, sliding the magazine across the table and back into her bag. "You think you can manage to walk in our front door without losing your cool?" At his nod she nodded back. "All right. Let's stop by the news kiosk on the way back to your car to pick up those copies for Wu. I took a cab in so I could catch a ride home with you." Mako silently offered her his arm and she took it. "LoLo's making komodo chicken for dinner tonight."

"That supposed to be some kind of bribe for my good behavior?"

"Sure, why not?" She gave his arm a squeeze and they headed for the door.


	62. A Nocturnal Discourse: Wu Shares Some Family History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wu gives Mako a history lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place immediately after Chapter 60.

Wu sat in bed and waited, listening to the water turn on and then off. Six times. Thirteen years he'd known this man - all but two of them living together - and the only time Mako took longer in the bathroom than Wu was when Mako was trying to avoid him.

Wu sighed. Dinner had been fine. Qi had materialized right as it was about to be served. The children had already seen the magazine; Zhi had wanted to know why Qi had taken off Qi's clothes in the car (Wu was pretty sure Lin had given LoLo a swift kick under the table to stop his inevitable guffaw) and Naoki had been full of encouragement, begging a copy that she could take to school the next day to show off. Meili was so starstruck by having someone she knew in a fashion magazine that she kept proclaiming that Qi was pretty with little rapturous sighs. Mako had kept quiet, just eating steadily. Which was fairly normal behavior for Mako anyhow; he never had been one to chit-chat when there was food to be eaten. Qi had kept shooting Mako nervous looks out the corner of Qi's eyes, though. It had been up to Wu to keep up the conversation, but that was nothing he couldn't handle. He could chatter the hind leg off an ostrich horse regardless of any situation.

He thought the photographs were amazing, in more ways than one. He'd been saying for years now that Qi's fashion sense had far surpassed his own; there was no question in his mind that Qi was a connoisseur of style. Not to mention that it wasn't _Wu_ who had been ignoring Qi's efforts to come out of the shadows. Hadn't he helped Qi practice with the elocution lessons? Hadn't he gently insisted that Qi move into the house itself? Hadn't he given Qi the family crest to wear? He'd even ordered Qi a brand new Satomobile of Qi's own for Qi's birthday the next month. Asami was pulling out all the stops on it, putting in some sort of new fast engine; the details of it went right over Wu's head but he knew Qi would appreciate it. It was high time Qi had Qi's own car. Qi both deserved and needed independence. 

The bathroom door finally opened and Mako walked towards the bed, making his best effort to appear casual. His best effort was terrible, of course, but Wu wasn't about to point it out. 

"Yumi's going on holiday next month, by the way. She told me today. She'll give a list of exercises for Naoki to follow, but it's probably better if you supervise her rather than me."

Mako crawled into bed. "Yeah, okay. Where's she going?" 

"Sojourn in the spirit world with Korra. Apparently Korra has some business there or something and Yumi is going to tag along."

"Yeah, Korra mentioned it to me the other day. Some sort of issue at the Northern Spirit Portal."

"There you have it."

There was a silence while Wu turned off his bedside light and the two of them got themselves situated.

"Have I ever told you about my grandfather? The paternal one, I mean. I only know what Chun's told me about my maternal grandparents."

"Uh...I guess? I know the basics." Mako's tone was slightly confused.

"Mmmm," Wu said, and he snuggled closer to put his head on Mako's chest, Mako's arms automatically going around him. "Well. He was twelve years younger than Hou-Ting. My great-aunt, that is. Apparently my great-grandmother spent most of her time in her own home all the way across the palace from my great-grandfather. They didn't see all that much of each other."

"It was that bear thing, wasn't it? The bear thing is weird, Wu."

"You don't know the half of it. I only wish we still had his journals around. In any case, my grandfather was apparently a little bit of a surprise. Perhaps my great-grandmother was feeling charitable after the bear finally died, I don't know. But he was raised properly with nannies and tutors and such, much the same as I was. When he came of age, he was married off. By coming of age, I mean he was fourteen."

"What?" Mako shifted.

"That's how it was done. Don't get me wrong, the girl in question was only ten. There was no question of consummating it at that point, of course. But she was brought to the palace and raised under the strict supervision of my great-grandmother. She left her entire family behind, including her twin sister. It must have been very difficult for her. She wasn't even from Ba Sing Se, she was the daughter of the Governor of the Shang Province. A very old and noble family, and politically speaking it was a good match."

"Ten? They married her off when she was ten? Shit. I think of Naoki and...well. Anyhow. Go ahead with your story."

"For whatever reason, she and my grandfather didn't get along. Well. That's an understatement of gross proportions. They loathed each other, apparently. I'm not sure why. My great-grandfather wrote about it in his journal but he didn't speculate about the reasons, just talked about how he thought it might be better to dissolve the marriage and send the girl back home. He brought it up with my great-grandmother and she was adamant the girl stayed and Guang - that was my great-aunt before she took the throne - backed her up. Meanwhile, my grandfather, Zaichun - that was his name, Zaichun - declared he hated her and wouldn't stay married to her. His mother informed him that he was fourteen years old and had no choice in the matter and that he would do what he was told and be quiet about it. So he ran away."

"He ran away! I never heard about that!"

"Well, it's not like they broadcast it! Anyhow, he somehow managed to get himself to the lower ring, do not ask me how."

"That's a hell of a long way. I've done it. I'm pretty impressed with your fourteen year old grandfather."

"Me too. In any case, while he was down there apparently he met a girl around his age whom he took a great liking to. She took him in and hid him and they swore they were going to run off together. Alas for true love! The Dai Li found him and dragged him back to the palace in disgrace. He was officially reprimanded by his mother as well as his older sister. Which was fairly unpleasant, I am sure. In any case, they tried to get the names of whomever it was that had hidden him in order to punish them and he refused to give them up. He promised that if they would leave the commoners alone that he would never say another word about being married to the governor's daughter. So they didn't pursue the matter and when they were deemed old enough then Zaichun consummated his marriage as promised."

"Let me just state again for the record that I am really glad I'm not royalty."

"I should say not. So in any case, Zaichun did his duty but the two of them couldn't stand each other. From what I understand they lived in totally different parts of the palace and she would be brought to his rooms at times that were deemed the most fertile and when they were finished the Dai Li would escort her back."

"That's just about the saddest thing I've ever heard. Spirits, Wu."

Wu was quiet for a moment. "That would have been me, you know. They had already started bringing potential brides to the Palace for me to look over before the Red Lotus came." He stirred in Mako's arms. "But anyhow. Moving on a few years. Zaichun had not impregnated his wife Xiaozheyi. Things had gotten so bad between the two of them that one of my great-grandmother's ladies-in-waiting was always in the royal bedchamber when she was brought there to ensure that Zaichun was actually doing the deed, as it were."

"Wait, wait, wait. Someone watched them?"

"And inspected afterwards, as well. To make sure."

"Wu!"

"Royalty is not all it's cracked up to be. I've been telling you this for years. Anyhow. One day, Zaichun was taking his daily stroll in the gardens, when he was approached by a kitchen maid. Which is...just not something that happens. I can't begin to tell you. It simply was never done. She was quite literally risking her life by doing it. Long story short, it was Yu, the girl he had met ten years prior, when he had run away. The one who had sheltered him. She had managed to wrangle herself a position in the royal kitchens in the hopes of seeing him. He immediately demanded that she was promoted to concubine status. Which was also simply not done, you have to understand. Concubines were from good and noble families, usually. It was, after all, an honored position! But he put his foot down and she was promoted."

"I'm guessing this did not go over well with his wife."

"You would be guessing right on that one. And worse, Yu was pregnant within six months of being made his concubine. At that point they had no choice but to promote her to Imperial Consort Yu."

"Oh boy."

"Indeed. And that was my father, of course. In revenge Xiaozheyi demanded that he become her son, which she had the legal right to do. There was nothing either Zaichun or Yu could do about it. And you know what happened to him. Xiaozheyi ruined him. He was barely literate. Opium smoker, drank like a fish, beat his servants and his sexual appetite was legendary and not in a good way, either. Gun told me he was assassinated when I was five to keep him off the throne. Which is how things go as well. All in the life of a Hou-Ting!"

"How did you turn out as nice as you did?"

"Hmmmm. I wasn't very nice when you first met me, was I? You helped a lot with that." Wu smiled as Mako squeezed him. "My great-aunt never had children, of course. She officially adopted me as her son once my father was dead, it made the whole inheritance thing cut and dried, another one of those normal things for the royal family, various children were adopted by other family members for various reasons of succession, that sort of thing. So by birth she was my great-aunt but by Earth Kingdom law she was my mother. Not that I ever referred to her by anything but Hou-Ting, I can assure you!" Wu shuddered slightly. "Now, Hou-Ting was married when she was seventeen but her husband died less than a year after they were married and she point blank refused to marry again. According to my great-grandfather's journals she and her mother would regularly have screaming matches over this. Personally, I think everyone but her mother was so terrified of her that no one was going to argue with her over it."

"Do you suppose she offed her own husband?"

"I would not at all have put it past her."

"So it was a love match between your grandparents?"

Wu nodded against Mako's chest. "Yes. My grandfather died of some kind of brain seizure three years before I was born and my grandmother followed him within a month. No one was ever very clear how she died. I still don't really know. Xiaozheyi died of an opium overdose when I was about twelve. I have absolutely no memory of her at all. None. Gun told me years later that I was presented to her once as an infant; she was wholly uninterested in me and never saw me again. She didn't even live in the Palace proper, she lived off in a royal summer residence on the other side of Lake Laogai."

"You still own that, by the way."

"Do I!"

"Yep."

"Oh. Am I doing anything with it?"

"No, it's got caretakers, but other than that it's empty."

"I had no idea. Thank goodness you keep up with these things for me. I suppose I should do something with it at some point. Hmmm. Anyhow. Back to my grandfather. I haven't even gotten into the other consorts. My grandfather's, I mean. He had two others after my grandmother; political connections, for the most part. No one that Xiaozheyi cared about, she probably didn't even think them worth her time. They all had their own residences in the Palace. Actually, one of them was always nice to me. Wen. She died of natural causes the year before the Red Lotus came. I visited her once a month and she always gave me candy and let me pet her poodle monkey, which she somehow managed to keep out of Hou-Ting's clutches. I'm glad she was gone before the city fell. Spirits know what would have happened to her otherwise. She was just a sweet old woman. Sometimes she told me stories about my grandparents. She and my grandmother - Yu, I mean - got along quite well, I believe."

"So your grandfather had four wives? Seriously? I didn't even know about the other two."

"Mmmm. Wen and Ji. Ji was still alive when the Red Lotus came but she was visiting her family at the time and escaped. I still write her twice a month, you know, send her photographs of the children, that sort of thing. She writes to me as well. We're not particularly close as far as those things go."

"I had no idea. You've never mentioned her before."

Wu shrugged. "Well, I hardly remember her, she went back to visit with her family when I was six and just never returned to the palace. I correspond with her because...well." He laughed a little. "I suppose because I was raised to understand it was my duty. Old habits die hard. But Mako, my great-grandfather Kuei had two other consorts besides my great-grandmother, and it was a scandal at the time. People couldn't understand why he had so few wives! He was the king, it's what was done. He had four other children besides my great-aunt and my grandfather with his consorts. Only two of them lived to adulthood and one of them was married off to the King of Omashu. Princess Gayatri and I are related, you know. The other one never married, he became a royal liaison to the Fire Nation. If you study Earth Kingdom history you will see centuries-worth of wrangling in the Palace over who would be king or queen amongst the royal children. There were a great many _accidental_ deaths in that place, let me tell you. Why do you think Hou-Ting was so restrictive of me? Once she'd made up her mind that I was her heir she was smart and ruthless enough to get rid of my competition one way or the other. My grandfather had other children with Wen but she apparently kept miscarrying, it was very sad. Gun told me about it when I was dismantling the monarchy, he was around for all of this, you know. He also told me Ji didn't prefer men and my grandfather respected that, which says something about him. Most royal husbands wouldn't have. Although he and Ji were great friends, they loved to play Pai Sho, apparently."

They were silent for a time, Wu breathing in Mako's familiar and beloved scent. "These things...I know they seem so odd to you. But it's how I grew up. It is as normal for me as your little house with your parents was for you. Republic City and its customs are foreign things for me, you know. I've adapted as best I can, but I'll always be a refugee here."

Mako's fingers stroked along his hair absently. "Yeah. It makes sense. I guess I really don't think about it all that much. I mean, I know you grew up differently than me, of course. I just usually think of it being about money instead of family drama."

"Did you just refer to the royal consorts of Prince Zaichun of the Exalted and Imperial House of Hou-Ting as _family drama_?" That got a little laugh out of Mako and Wu smiled to himself. "Well. Anyhow. I should let you sleep, you've got work tomorrow. I just wanted you to know that as far as I am concerned, royals having more than one consort is normal. It's what I grew up with. In fact, having only one spouse is actually a little odd to me. Not wrong, mind. But it isn't what I am used to. Just something to keep in mind, hmmm? I am not likely to react to certain things the way that someone who grew up in Republic City might." He shifted in Mako's arms to kiss Mako's cheek. "I do love you, Prince Consort Mako Hou-Ting." Gently, he eased his head back to his own pillow and snuggled himself down into the covers, closing his eyes.

It was a long time before Mako went to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I've mentioned before on [Tumblr](http://ourimpavidheroine.tumblr.com/), I have done quite a deal of research on the emperors of China from about 1800 going forward. There is an absolute wealth of delicious scandal involved there; it is a writer's dream. You can believe that many of Wu's stories about his family have been taken straight from the pages of actual Chinese history!


	63. A Secluded Unveiling: The Imperial Hunting Lodge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wu and Qi go on a little adventure.

"So you can find it?"

"I can read a map, Wu."

"Well, I certainly can't!"

"That's why I'm the one driving. And before you ask, yes, I remembered the lunch. And the blanket. And the umbrellas in case it rains."

Wu beamed at Qi from the passenger's seat. "It's like an adventure!"

Qi shifted gears and smiled. "If you say so."

"Anything could be out there!"

"I thought you said it was a house." Qi passed another car and turned northeast on the road that would lead them out of Republic City.

"Well, I might remind you that I call our house a house and whenever I do it you roll your eyes at me."

Qi took Qi's eyes off the road to deliberately roll them at Wu before looking back at the road again, smirking a little. "Is that your idea of a suit you can go exploring in?"

Wu looked down at his suit. "What? It's brown, isn't it? I thought it might get dirty. Brown doesn't show dirt, right? Qi Hou-Ting! You stop laughing at me this very instant!"

They drove for nearly two and a half hours, Qi pulling over twice to consult the map they'd brought, once backtracking in reverse for ten minutes to turn a different way. They finally bumped their slow way down a rutted dirt road that eventually led to a tall stone wall, still in fairly good condition. It was split in the middle with an iron gate, centered with the sigil of the Earth Monarchy, blanketed in rust. "This must be it," Qi said, hopping out of the car to study the gate. "It's locked, though." 

Wu came to stand there as well. "Gracious. I never even thought about it. I don't think anyone's been out here since my great-great-grandfather's day. I didn't even know anything about it until I went through those old deeds in my office. I realized I had no clear idea of what I owned and what I didn't beyond the obvious."

"Imperial Hunting Lodge, hmm?" Qi frowned at the lock. "I can either try to break it or we could climb over the wall."

Wu's eyes widened as he looked up at the wall. "Well, goodness, I can't attempt that thing! You could, but certainly not me. Well, just break it, I suppose. We can always get someone out here to fix it later."

"Hang on." Qi tossed the newsboy cap Qi was wearing back into the car before grabbing at the wall, boots scrabbling until they found toeholds in the rocks. Qi scaled up the wall and then dropped to the other side, hitting the ground with a thud and a roll.

"Oh, Qi! Are you all right?" Wu peered anxiously through the metal bars. Qi waved at him, and frowning, reached inside a niche in the rock, straining a bit with the effort. With a horrible screeching noise the gate began to open. "Oh, you are so clever! Here, I can get through now." Wu walked into the property and dusted himself off a bit.

"How far does the driveway go?" Qi shaded Qi's eyes with a hand and peered into the forested gloom. "I don't see any sign of the house. Are you sure it's still here?"

"I'm not sure about any of this. The only reason I knew it was the Imperial Hunting Lodge at all is because I remember something Kuei had written in his journals about it. I think it was completely abandoned when Kuei's father was assassinated and that was over a hundred years ago." He trotted after Qi as Qi started to walk down the weed-choked drive. "I don't believe this was even meant for cars, was it?"

Qi's head shook. "No, this is all cobblestone, meant for ostrich horses and carriages. There weren't any cars in your grandfather's time, never mind any earlier than that. Here, hang on a tick." Qi jogged back and returned with the picnic basket in hand. "Don't know how long we'll be here, may as well bring the food. This is pretty wild out here. Watch for snakes." Qi started back down the drive.

"Surely you are jesting! Qi! Qi! Oh, Qi, I can't abide snakes! Qi!" Wu hurriedly followed along after.

It took a good twenty minutes of walking before they finally spotted the house through the trees, the driveway opening into an expansive courtyard. It was a large place; not quite as capacious as the mansion in Republic City, but big enough to still be imposing. The single-storied edifice was built of stone with the traditional curved wooden roof; covered with moss and rotting leaves but seemingly intact. The grand front door to the lodge was overgrown, the iron bands around the wood as rusty as the gates had been. "Hmmm," Qi said, inspecting it. "Let's see if there's another entrance a little easier to access. It looks okay from here, but who knows about the roof." They walked around the house, passing a large stone stable and what looked like the remains of the servants' quarters, walking until they came to a door on the side, clear of vines for the most part. Qi put down the basket and wrestled with it for a few moments before it opened, the wooden door swollen and warped with years worth of water damage. "Well, the wood's not in such good shape, but I guess that's to be expected. Mind yourself, now."

It was the door into the kitchens, a huge space, with old copper pots and pans still hanging from the ceiling and a large wooden worktable in the middle of the room. Qi whistled. "Look at that. LoLo would keel right over if he saw all of this." Qi ran a hand along the table and sneezed at the violent cloud of dust that followed. "Doesn't seem to be any water damage in here so I guess the roof is okay in the kitchen at least." Qi walked over to the enormous fireplace, big enough to fit the car they'd driven up in. "Don't want to think what's up this chimney, though. Well, let's go take a peek around. But you stay right behind me, okay? Last thing I need is for you to go through a hole in the floor or something." Qi left the basket on the table and took Wu's hand, pulling him along.

They wandered through the house, Qi making sure to keep a eye on Wu the entire time. It was filthy, but short of some readily apparent water damage in one of the bedrooms the roof seemed to be fairly solid. The furniture had been left uncovered and most of it that had fabric had been destroyed by mice over the years. The smell was pungent and both of them were sneezing and coughing with the dust they were raising just by walking around. Qi finally made use of their handkerchiefs, typing them around both of their mouths and noses. The grand room in the center of the lodge featured a collection of animal heads mounted on the walls, something at which Wu shuddered and Qi scowled. "Best just to burn those," Qi said, head shaking in disgust. "I never could understand the point of it." Qi's hands were fisted on Qi's hips. "One thing I'll give them, though, when they built this place they built it to last. It's a mess, but the building is still good, as far as I can tell. The windows seem to have held up for the most part and there doesn't seem to be any signs of any large animals getting in, never mind any people. I wonder how long its been since anyone has been here?" Qi kicked at a moldy armadillo-lion skin on the floor. "I guess you'd need to replace the roof. Well, I'd want to replace all of the wood, not just the roof. The doors and such are in pretty bad shape, they haven't really held up like the stone has." Qi sneezed again. "You want to go look at the stables? And then we can have our lunch outside. I don't want to eat in here, too much dust. Although Zhi would have a field day, plenty of specimens."

"I'm trying very hard not to think about all of the specimens, thank you very kindly," Wu said, following Qi out the kitchen door, towards the stables. Qi managed to get the door open and it was much of the same as the house, with the added addition of plenty of rotted hay and old leather tack falling to pieces. "It'd be a job to clean out, but if you had ostrich horses it'd be a good place for them. It'd be fairly easy to convert into a garage, too, if you wanted to skip the livestock all together." They wandered back outside, Qi grunting a bit while forcing the door shut again before turning around and tugging the handkerchief away, breathing in the fresh air. "Hey! There's a pump. I wonder if the water's still good?" Qi put down the picnic basket and shucked off Qi's leather jacket, rolling up Qi's sleeves and starting to prime the pump. Qi grinned at Wu. "Haven't used one of these in years. There's still plenty of places in the city that don't have running water. I never grew up with it, I can tell you that much."

Wu pulled the blanket out of the top of the picnic basket, laying it carefully over a grassy area next to the stables. He sat down gingerly, taking off his hat and fanning himself with it. Qi was pulling hard at the pump handle, still grinning, uttering soft exhalations at it with plenty of profanity sprinkled in. Wu found himself grinning back. Qi looked happy here, despite the smudge of rust across one hand and a bit of cobweb stuck in Qi's hair. Wu had always thought of Qi as part and parcel of the City; Mako was a city boy, certainly, and was never all that comfortable in the countryside. Wu knew he certainly wasn't. But there was something here, something in the quality of the clean air and the unfiltered sunshine, with the green of the forest that had been encroaching on the lodge for a hundred years that suited Qi. Maybe it was the quiet, the stillness only broken by birdsong and the whine of a grasshopper nearby. Qi had always been quiet; the damaged voice, of course, but also the silence Qi always carried on Qi's person. Even in photographs Qi had hidden depths, much like the land around them.

The pump let out with a deep rattling groan and shuddered; a few seconds later some rather dirty looking water trickled out. "There it is!" said Qi, obviously excited. "The pipes are probably full of muck but once it rinses that out we can see what we can see." Qi kept pumping away, and Wu watched with interest as the water gained volume and, over the course of a few minutes, gradually started to clear. "Didn't LoLo pack us some cups?" Qi asked, nodding at the basket, and Wu fished around until he found one, standing up and bringing it to Qi. "Let's see." Qi filled it and cautiously took a sip and then a large swallow. "Oh, it's good! The water's still good. You never know, wells can dry up or go bad. You want to try?"

Wu took the cup and tasted it. The water was teeth-chatteringly icy, and very good indeed. "It's so cold!" he sputtered, and Qi laughed.

"It means the well is good and deep. I don't know if it would withstand putting actual plumbing in here, you'd have to bring in someone who knows how to do all of that. But at least there's water." They sat back down on the blanket and Wu started to take things out of the basket, laying them down neatly. "How much property does this place have anyhow?"

"Oh, according to the deed there's about twenty thousand acres of land. All of this forest area belongs to the property. That's why there aren't any villages or anything nearby. This area used to belong to the Earth Kingdom, of course. I'm not sure if the Fire Nation ever made it this far inland when they invaded and colonized the area. They claimed a lot of land they hadn't actually even taken, there was a whole to-do while my great-grandfather and Firelord Zuko and Avatar Aang worked it all out. It's just barely in the United Republic's borders now, however."

Qi was staring at him. "That's...a lot of land. A lot of damn land. What's it all worth, anyhow?"

Wu shrugged. "I have no idea. You know you have to ask Mako about that kind of thing." Wu waved his arm. "It's mostly forest, although there is apparently a small lake somewhere around here that belongs to the property as well. They used to use it for hunting, remember, so it hasn't been really cleared for farming or anything. I wouldn't be surprised if people had built along the edges of it, though, seeing as it has been so long since anyone's been here to claim it. I suppose that's something you'd have to clear up with lawyers and such." He shrugged again. "I pay people to do that sort of thing for me."

Qi was quiet for a moment, fiddling with a pair of chopsticks. "What do you plan on doing with it?"

"Ah. Well, that's the thing. It's not really what I plan on doing with it. It's what you plan on doing with it." At Qi's baffled look, Wu smiled. "You see, I'm giving it to you."

Qi was silent for a long moment, staring into Wu's eyes. "Why are you doing that?"

"Don't you want it?"

Qi raised an eyebrow. "Don't answer my question with a question of your own. That slippery business of yours works on your husband, not me. Why are you trying to give me this property?"

"Trying, am I?" At Qi's look Wu threw up his hands in defeat. "Fine. I'll tell it your way, then. So. I have consulted with my lawyers about how to officially make you a part of the Hou-Ting family. In Ba Sing Se it would be enough for me to give you the crest; we don't live in Ba Sing Se, however, so there is legal paperwork to be considered. There are three choices. The first one would be to have another Hou-Ting bring you into the family as my cousin or sibling. That one is clearly out since, insofar as I know, I am the only adult Hou-Ting left living. The second choice would be for me to officially adopt you as my child. Which is odd, considering our respective ages, but it wouldn't be the first time it had ever happened, of course. The sticky issue there is that...well, to be blunt, you'd become the Hou-Ting heir. You're not a bender and you are older than Zhi."

Qi took a deep breath and let it out. "I do not want to be your heir. Ever. That's for Zhi. Cut that one right on out."

"I had assumed that would be your answer, actually."

"Too right it would be. So what's the other choice?"

Wu dropped his eyes and started to fiddle with the basket, re-arranging the things on the blanket. Qi sighed again.

"It's for me to marry you, isn't it?" Wu's eyes flew up to meet Qi's, startled wide. Qi let out with a gritty little laugh. "I might not be the detective in the family but I'm not stupid, you know. I've read all of your books about these things. I'm right, aren't I?"

Wu's hands fluttered nervously. "It's not a necessity, of course. As members of the Hou-Ting family Mako and the children get an annual stipend and I've settled certain properties and such on them, it's what is done. You don't need to be legally connected for me to do the same. And as I said, in Ba Sing Se it's enough I've given you the crest, it's just Republic City, or the United Republic's laws I should say-"

"Now you're babbling," Qi said mildly, cutting him off. Qi snorted. "Well, this is all sort of royal, isn't it? No romance, just get down to business, sign the contracts. Hand over the land. Nothing personal, just the legalities."

Wu was quiet, staring at the wedding ring on his hand. "The King of the Earth Kingdom shouldn't wear a wedding ring. We're considered above such trinkets to denote our marital status. Our word is law; we can promote or demote a consort at any time. Well, in theory, anyhow. It's considered a huge insult to demote an actual consort and you'd risk a great deal of political upheaval if you did so. It was far easier to stash away the out of favor consort in the far reaches of the Palace and leave them there to rot in opulence, of course." Wu's smile was melancholy. "I wear this ring because Mako had it made for me and it's beautiful and I love it and I love him. I don't wear it because I feel an obligation to do so. That's not how I was raised. I bought Mako his ring because I wanted to please him and I wanted to embrace the customs of Republic City since this is my new home." Wu raised his eyes to Qi. "Everything I do here is based on someone else's customs, someone else's laws. My entire way of life is gone. Sometimes I feel like I've been erased. And worse, I'm the one who erased myself. It was my choice to give it all up, I know. It's my own fault. I still feel it was the right thing to do, but sometimes I long for my home, for everything that was familiar and right to me. Just because I don't talk about it doesn't mean I don't feel that way." 

"I'm sorry." Qi's voice was a whisper. 

Wu nodded in acknowledgement. "It is what it is. I'm not unhappy, you know. Well. Nothing I can't bear, anyhow." He smiled through sudden tears. "I try not to dwell on it. But Qi...I am so careful not to make decisions for you. I try very hard. You are not the same as Mako. Mako was never made to be alone, despite what I think he believed all along. Mako was desperate for a family, for stability, for a home. I was those things for him. I hope to always be those things to him. I have loved him since the moment I met him, although in the beginning it was a selfish boy's one-sided love. I took him for granted and never thought of his happiness. It worked out for us eventually, but I hope I learned my lesson there. The thing is, Qi..." Wu took a deep breath, "...I think you are desperate for a family as well. Home. Stability. I've tried so hard to make these things available for you without pushing you into them, manipulating you. Seducing you, as it were." Wu laughed a little. "I'm not sure how well I've succeeded. Mako's right, I am imperious. Well, that's just who I am. I don't know that it will ever change. I do my best. But I am excruciatingly aware that what I am doing right now is, in its own way, a trap of love."

"I don't feel trapped."

Wu fished in the basket for a clean napkin and dabbed at his eyes. "I do hope not. You are your own person, Qi. You deserve love and happiness on your own terms. We will always be your family. Always. It doesn't need to be legal under Republic City's laws, and it hasn't been, for that matter. Your relationship with the children isn't legal, but Zhi and Meili have only ever known you as another parent to them. Naoki is a little older, but I do believe she sees you as a mix between a parent and a older sibling, perhaps. But those relationships, you've built on your own." Wu smoothed the napkin across his lap and met Qi's eyes again. "Qi, you are not, as you say, stupid. I know you are aware of how my husband feels about you, even if he hasn't figured it all out for himself. Oh, why mince words? He wants you, of course, that's plain to anyone with eyes. Including your eyes, and now you're blushing! Well, you do like to be blunt, Qi, so I am just trying to communicate that way with you."

"Doing a bang up job with it," Qi said, hands spread across cheeks flushed with mortification. 

"I don't care, you know. I told Mako a few weeks ago...well. I told him a long story about the historical background of the various marriages of the royal family because I love that man, but if I spoke to him the way I am speaking to you right now he'd shout at me and then run off to set things on fire and utterly refuse to address the subject ever again. Never say I don't know my own husband."

That got a little laugh from Qi. "I won't argue with you there."

"Mmmm. I should say not. The thing is...I don't care. Republic City might be utterly scandalized but Ba Sing Se wouldn't bat an eye so long as the proper forms were followed. Per Ba Sing Se's customs you both belong to me, so it wouldn't even be worth speculating over. It'd be considered par for the course. Only if you were my concubine or consort, however. If that were the case there would simply be no scandal at all." Wu shrugged. "I have to say I've never understood all of the fuss Republic City makes over that sort of thing. If the nobility of Ba Sing Se were to get worked up and divorced every single time a husband or wife procured a new concubine then no one in the Upper Ring would be married at all!" Wu leaned in. "Lin's grandmother only kicked out her grandfather because he refused to give the women he was sleeping with official concubine status. That was considered low-class." Wu made a little mou of distaste. "Imagine! A concubine is an honored position, you know. It comes with rights and certain expectations of gifts of money or jewels or land, depending on the wealth of the noble involved. To not elevate your lover to the status of concubine is the scandal where I come from. It spoke very poorly of Lin's grandfather, really." Wu shrugged. "Well, I know it sounds odd to you, growing up where you have. But it's what I grew up with. The truth of it is that I don't care if you and Mako want to sleep with each other. But I couldn't possibly let it happen under my roof unless you were given a certain status. I just...I couldn't, Qi. It would be dishonorable to me as well as the House of Hou-Ting." Wu spread his hands out. "Can you understand that?"

Qi was quiet, thinking, before slowly nodding. "I think I understand. It'd be like giving someone a job but not paying them for it." 

Wu sat back. "Well, that's a bit oversimplified, but it's the general idea, yes." Wu sighed. "If we were in Ba Sing Se I'd proclaim you my concubine and all would be well. If you later wished to leave me for another then we'd dissolve the verbal contract, I would give you the expected gifts, and you'd move on to another. All very day-to-day. No one would blink an eye, even though I am royal. Republic City is another kettle of fish, however. You know that concubines are not necessarily respected here. People consider it an affair, a tawdry thing. I don't give a damn what people think of me, but I won't have you or Mako tarnished that way. If I made you my consort, however, it would be acceptable in both places. Republic City looks a bit askance at more than one spouse, but it isn't illegal and it's fairly common amongst the refugees and immigrants from Ba Sing Se, at least. There might be a bit of a scandal, but it would die down fairly quickly. And, most importantly, you'd be legally protected." Wu leaned forward to place his hand on Qi's, his face serious. "If you ever wanted to, I would release you from your contract. I give you my word as a Hou-Ting."

"It's not very romantic, is it?" Qi's eyes were full of tears.

"Qi. My darling. My love. If romance is what you want, then I promise you all of the romance in the world. Well, from me, anyhow, when Mako hears about this he will shout at me for months, you realize."

Qi laughed a little, despite the tears. "Could I have a big wedding?"

Wu laughed outright. "The very biggest wedding my extremely lavish fortune could manage. No limits at all. Whatever your rapacious little street rat heart desired."

"Dancing badgermoles?"

"Need you even ask?"

Qi dashed at the tears with the napkin Wu considerately handed over. "I have to think about it, okay?"

Wu nodded. "I don't want an answer today. I want you to consider it and give me the answer you want to give me, not the answer you think I want. We can discuss it more later, as well. This is not something I am doing on impulse, you realize."

Qi nodded back. "I know."

"And this is still yours. Regardless of whatever you decide. It's not a bribe and it's not a gift. It is a proper acknowledgement that you are a member of the Hou-Ting family. You may do with it whatever you please. Sell it, leave it alone, fix it up. It is up to you. I've already had the deed put into your name and filed by my lawyers."

"Okay."

"Okay indeed. Now. LoLo has packed us this lovely lunch and I think we should eat it. Or at least I should. I believe I smell dumplings."

"Wu?"

Wu was frowning at one of the packages. "Yes?"

"I haven't...um. I mean to say..." Qi was fumbling a bit, a very unusual circumstance. "I...um..." Qi's face was taking on color again. "It's just...I haven't..."

"Ah," said Wu, focusing on untying one of LoLo's nautical knots. "Are you trying to tell me that you haven't actually had sex with anyone? I had assumed that. You've always shied away from that sort of thing." He quickly brought his head up, his eyes wide. "My gracious, I do hope you realize that it is not a requirement! Qi, I most heartily apologize if I did not make that clear. Of course sex is not required. Under no circumstances. I would never dream of it. Never. I beg your pardon, it was carelessly done of me. I could put it in the marriage contract if that would ease your mind."

Qi's face was pressed into Qi's knees. "Please someone just kill me now and put me out of my misery."

"Obviously whatever agreement you came to with Mako would be between the two of you but I hope you know that Mako would certainly never put his oar in where it was not wanted, so to speak."

"Oh spirits," Qi mumbled, refusing to look up.

"Although I can only recommend him. He was my first and he was extremely considerate and very reassuring about the whole thing." Wu smiled fondly at the memory. "Also, he was quite a good sport about roleplaying a sandbender in the shower with me. Oh, and being a Triad boss. That was a lot of fun. It wasn't the last time, either. He does make a very convincing and thrillingly dastardly Triad Boss, you can believe me!"

"Stop," begged Qi. "Please."

Wu started to laugh. "Oh, I am sorry, Qi. I don't mean to embarrass you, I promise. If he were here Mako would probably dump cold water on my head. Never mind. Ah! There goes that knot. I can never seem to convince LoLo that we are not, as it happens, on board a ship and I do not know how to manage all of his twists and turns!"

"It's just..." Qi plucked at a blade of grass on the border of the blanket. "It wasn't...I told you before that I born to a whore, right?"

Wu put the basket down. "Yes. You did."

Qi shrugged, still staring down at the ground. "And she died when I was about two. I don't remember her. At all. But I lived there until I was nine. In the brothel, I mean." Qi quickly met Wu's eyes. "I wasn't for sale there, not at that place." Qi looked back down. "I had a little space in the attic and I worked, I did the embroidery and cleaned and such. I told you that."

"Yes."

"Well, it wasn't a good life or anything, but no one messed with me. I was just a skinny ugly little kid. Besides, like I said, that place didn't cater to the customers that wanted kids. Plus some of the other whores, they kept an eye out for me. So in that way, I was lucky. But the thing is..." Qi went quiet for a bit, still plucking at the grass. "It's just...the whores? They didn't want it. The sex I mean. It was a job. They got paid. They'd pretend they were enjoying it, of course, the customers like that kind of thing, or at least most of them do. They want the fantasy, I guess. But when they were done it was all business, back in the back room where they'd get cleaned up and ready for the next round. They'd make fun of the customers, talk about how boring and stupid they were, how bad they were at sex, that kind of thing. And it made an impression on me, I guess. That it was always this dirty boring thing, something you paid for. Something that was fake."

"Oh, Qi."

Qi shrugged. "Well, I know it isn't true. I mean, my head knows it. But it's hard to get past it sometimes. And even Wei...I mean, he's not paying any of those men he takes home, it's not like that. They want to be there and he wants them there. But he doesn't care about them. He just has his fun and out they go. He's never had a relationship or anything."

Wu scoffed. "Oh, I thought Mako was going to kill him when Zhi let it slip a couple of years back that he'd been visiting you over the garage. Mako thought he'd been carrying on with you, treating you like you were one of his disposable lovers. Nothing I could say would stop him, he drove over there and practically threw Wei out the window. It took a lot of convincing on Wei's part to make Mako understand that he'd never done anything like that with you and wouldn't do it, either."

"Wei never told me that! I'm not his type anyhow, Mako ought to know that."

Wu threw out a hand and rolled his eyes. "Mako's not known for thinking clearly when he gets angry, you know. I knew nothing of the sort had been going on, but you know how Mako is. He's very protective."

"Yeah, I know. But...anyhow. It's hard for me. Don't get me wrong. I know LoLo and Lin love each other. And you and Mako. I mean, I get it. I know it's not all like what I grew up with. I know it here," Qi slammed a finger to Qi's temple, "but my heart doesn't want to believe it, I guess."

"Well. Mako and I...we do certain things. Certain kind of role play. Mako has..." Wu was careful with his wording, "...certain needs which I can provide in my own way. It's not every time or anything. Believe me, we carry on in the normal way as well." Wu smiled.

"It's when you go to the Four Elements for the night, isn't it?" The blade of grass was well shredded by now.

"Yes. Only there. We keep it separate. It's...well. I wouldn't actually feel right talking about it without Mako's consent. But let me make it very clear to you that it is something between Mako and me. There would be absolutely no expectations for you that way. Or anyone else, for that matter. It's just between the two of us."

"Because I don't think I could do that. Not any of that...Four Elements kind of thing. Or even role play. I just..." Qi glanced up at Wu. "I'd feel like a whore. I'm sorry. But I would."

"You've no need to apologize to me, Qi," Wu said gently. "It's fine. I do mean that. I give you my word. And you should ask Mako yourself, of course, but I can promise you that he would feel the same."

"I am curious. I want to, but I don't know. I guess I'm scared. Not of sex. I mean, it's not like I don't know what goes on. Grow up where I did, you learn too early. It's not that part of it that scares me."

"Well, you know, sex and intimacy, they aren't the same thing. What Wei does? That's just physical. What you saw growing up as well, I imagine. But intimacy, it's not the same. And it can be frightening. Letting someone into your heart like that? Terrifying. I think we all feel like that, sometimes. I know I certainly did."

"You did?" Qi looked up.

Wu nodded. "Oh, of course. And it was difficult for us, being in two different cities the way we were. We missed each other, so very much, and we had to trust each other. That part was harder for Mako than me, I think. Trust has always been so difficult for him. He's always so afraid of losing those that he loves."

"I just think...what if I fuck it all up?"

Wu smiled and leaned forward. "Oh, Qi. We're all afraid of that. It's the risk you take, loving someone."

"Sometimes I think, I should just get it over with, just take someone home from a bar like Wei does, just be done with it. But it feels too much like...well. You know."

Wu nodded. "I know now. I'm glad you told me. It helps me understand."

"I feel really stupid, having this conversation," Qi mumbled, looking back down.

"Well, don't. I've never understood people's reluctance. Isn't it better just to soldier through and get it all out in the open so there are no misunderstandings later? It seems a simple enough solution to me."

Qi cracked a small grin. "You do realize you aren't like most people? Right? In so many ways."

Wu put a hand to his heart and fluttered his eyelashes. "I do like to celebrate my own uniqueness." 

That got a laugh out of Qi. "This is a weird conversation. In the middle of a forest next to a hidden house."

"That's your forest and your hidden house, might I add."

"You've got lots of property. Why this one?"

Wu smiled. "It was something you said when we were visiting Chun last year. Do you remember? You told me that sometimes you thought you'd like to just drive to the end of the world, just go where no one knows you. Well, I can't give you the end of the world, but I can at least give you this. Your own little hidden sanctuary, far away from everything, so you can be alone whenever you feel the need. All yours."

Qi stared at Wu, eyes filling with tears again.

"Come here," Wu said, and held his arms open. "I won't bite you. Or even try any hanky-panky, I promise. Just come here for a moment." He gestured with his open hands. Qi slid reluctantly over, sitting stiffly next to Wu on the blanket. Wu pulled Qi in the rest of the way and wrapped Qi up in his arms. "There. It's a hug. I know you are capable, I've seen you do it with the children."

"Children just want hugs. Adults usually want something more."

Wu smiled. "Well, right now I would just like a hug. That's all. And also some dumplings, but we'll get to that after the hug." Qi's arms slowly went around Wu, and Wu's smile widened. "So tell me. What would you like to do first? Here, I mean."

"Get someone out to check the roof, fix the doors. All of the wood most likely needs to be replaced at this point, if that roof is holding on it's by a thread. I'd check the masonry for holes or chinks in it. I'd want it to be weather-tight before the snow flies. It needs cleaning but I'd want to do that first."

Wu nodded. "Mmmm. Did I mention the part where as a Hou-Ting you'll be getting a considerable annual stipend?"

"You said Mako and the kids were."

"Naturally that means you as well." 

"What kind of stipend are we talking about?"

Wu quoted a number. Qi swore.

"Well, I really am quite wealthy, Qi. As I said, you'd have to ask Mako about the details. But in any case, I'm certain you could get someone out here to work on the place if you wanted to. I have no idea who does these sorts of things. Do you hire local? Bring someone in? Someone fixed our house before Mako and I moved in, I've forgotten who they were although I do remember the very imposing woman who smoked like a chimney and shouted a great deal whenever I'd visit. Mako would know who she was."

Qi was laughing. "Listen to you. You don't even know who worked on your own house. You're like an overgrown baby."

Wu pulled back in mock indignation. "How very rude of you! You may redeem yourself by serving me some dumplings. Isn't fresh air supposed to invigorate the appetite? I feel as if I could eat three of them!"

"If you eat three whole dumplings and LoLo hears about it he'll make you eat outside every single day."

"He would, wouldn't he?" Wu's face lit up and Qi's lips quirked in amusement.

"Three whole dumplings it is. What if I added some pickled cabbage and a duck egg to the bowl?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm not that hungry!"

"Pour the tea, then." Qi handed over the thermos and pulled out the bowls with a smile.


	64. A Searing Rebuke: Wu Scolds Korra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wu and Korra talk about Mako.

"But...why didn't you put Daddy down if he didn't like it?" Zhi was frowning, looking between his father and Korra.

"Oh, your dad always was oversensitive. It was just a joke. I wasn't really going to let him fall out of that airspout." Korra started laughing. "His face though! Ah! This is not what we rehearsed!" Korra made an exaggerated face full of fear, and kept laughing. "Priceless, just priceless."

"That's bullying," said Zhi. "It's mean. I don't like it." His chopsticks drooped in his fingers, and his eyes filled up with tears. "It's not nice."

Mako opened his mouth to say something, but Wu beat him to it, smiling his most brilliant smile. "Darling, it looks like you're finished. Why don't the three of you go into the backyard for a bit? I promised LoLo that we would go to the park to bring back some ice cream for dessert and you can help me choose flavors."

"Yes!" Naoki perked right up. "Can we get moonpeach?"

"I make no promises," Wu said, and waggled his eyebrows at her. "Run along, I'll be out in just a moment."

The three children made their polite excuses and got up from the table. Zhi was still clearly upset; Wu gathered him into his arms as he walked past and whispered something into his ear, which got a little smile out of the boy. Wu kissed his temple and gave him an affectionate little pat on the shoulder as Zhi walked away.

"Well, thank you, LoLo. Excellent as always." Wu patted at his mouth with his napkin. He was angry, Mako realized with some surprise. It was so rare to see Wu actually angry that it took him aback for a moment. Oh, Wu could get miffed; sometimes he got, as Qi put it, his royal shorts in a twist. This wasn't that, however. The set of his jaw and the glitter in his eyes tipped Mako off, despite the smile plastered on Wu's face and his normal polite tone. "I do wonder if I might have a private word with you for a moment, Korra?" 

Korra blinked. "Uh. Sure." She stood up as Wu did; he gestured her ahead of him, herding her out of the kitchen.

"She's going to catch it now," Qi said, sliding back into a little street vernacular, watching the two of them leave. "He's not happy."

Lin took the last swallow of her tea. "I don't blame him. You know I like Korra, but..."

LoLo snorted and rolled his eyes. "But." He stood up. "Help me stack these dishes?" Qi had already anticipated the request and was gathering together bowls.

"I...what's he so angry about? Korra's just being Korra." Mako looked around the table.

"That's the problem, isn't it?" Lin sighed and leaned over to place a bowl in Qi's stack.

While the table was being cleared Mako slipped out quietly to find his husband. He heard the sound of voices coming from the receiving room near the front doors; he made his way over, standing out of sight. Korra had her back to him; he could just make out half of Wu's face. He was angry, all right, his eyes flashing and his mouth gone thin, his usual look of affability gone.

"...look, it was just a joke, okay?" Korra sounded defensive. "Mako knows I was making a joke!"

"And my children do? You come into my house - my home - and speak that way about my husband? In front of his children?" Wu's lip curled back, the scorn on his face unmistakable. "It is very clear that the White Lotus may have excelled at teaching you bending but they certainly never did anything to teach you the first thing about manners."

Korra rocked back on her heels and crossed her arms. "Look, Mako doesn't need you to defend him-"

Wu cut her off. "What you and Mako discuss in private is none of my business. What you do out and about together is also none of my business. Mako is a grown man and he can make his own choices about the company he keeps. But you will not come into my home and speak about my husband that way. Do it again and you will no longer be welcome here."

Mako inched just slightly closer so that he could see Wu's entire face. Wu was in control; his royal training on display. He stood ramrod straight, his hands relaxed by his side, head held high. Desire spiked through Mako; he pushed it down and ignored it. Now was definitely not the time.

She started to shift from side to side. "Wu! I think you're overreacting!" 

"Do you have any idea how frequently Zhi is bullied? There are reasons we haven't sent him to the same school that Naoki and San attend, and one of those reasons is that a child as sensitive and fragile as he is is an easy mark for bullies. I would rather not see him beaten and broken down by the Korras of the schoolyard, thank you very much. He certainly doesn't need to see his father subjected to the same." 

"Look, I'm not a bully! It was a joke!" Now she was indignant.

Wu's voice was cold. "Did anyone laugh, Avatar Korra? Did one single person at that table laugh at your so-called joke?" As he took a sudden step towards her Korra took an involuntary step back. "No one laughed because it was not funny." He made a sharp gesture with his hand. "He is their father. They look up to him. They respect him. What kind of ignorant buffoon mocks a father in front of his children?" 

"Is that some sort of comment about the Water Tribe? Because if it is-"

Wu cut her off with an aristocratic sneer. "You mistake me. I am in no way impugning the reputation of the Southern Water Tribe. I have nothing but the greatest respect for your parents as well as your culture. It's you I have a decidedly low opinion of." When Wu started speaking like a dictionary Mako knew he was coming to the end of his patience. He almost felt sorry for Korra.

"I have never liked the way you speak to Mako," said Wu, and he smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. "I didn't like it the first day I met you and I still don't like it. I think you treat him badly and you use your so-called friendship to excuse it." His eyes narrowed. "Come now. Let's not dance around it. You have never much liked me. You made that extraordinarily clear on the day you met me. In fact, you thought so little of a terrified and drugged eighteen year old boy that you shoved your hand into his face and pushed him backwards when he was merely looking for reassurance and acceptance."

Korra shrugged, digging a foot into the carpet. "Well..."

"Oh yes, I know. I was annoying. I talked too much when I was nervous - and I was nervous about meeting you, I can assure you. The one and only Avatar. You didn't disappoint when it came to showing off your truly astounding bending skills on that day, of course. I suppose I should just overlook the fact that you threw me onto the roof of a moving train." His nostrils flared. "How very unreasonable of me to be frightened in that moment and therefore not as instantly compliant as you would have preferred." He leaned in closer to her again. "How very fucking dare I."

Mako's eyes widened. Wu never cursed. He considered it common and unimaginative.

"Wu..."

"So let's just say that after that day? The dislike was mutual. Oh, does that surprise you, Avatar Korra? That someone might not like you? That someone might think that you were an overbearing and insensitive brute? Because that's how I saw you on that day." Wu flicked his fingers. "I've gotten over most of it. I'm not that boy any longer, any more than you are that girl. And I'll note that even though I didn't like you I still argued that you needed to be at the meeting of the world leaders about Kuvira. It wasn't about how I felt about you on a personal level. It was about the necessity of having the Avatar involved on matters of world policy." His eyes were icy. "I spent my childhood suckling on the teat of politics, Korra. I may not be able to throw a punch, but I've forgotten more about politics, governance and history than you'll ever learn. Despite my personal dislike, you as the Avatar needed to be there." He scoffed, looking down his aristocratic nose. "That's always been the difference between the two of us, however. It was drilled into me from the time I was a very small child that the King always came before Wu. It took you a great deal of trial and error before you came to that understanding about yourself, I believe."

"This from the guy who gave up a kingdom for his boyfriend." Korra's stance was belligerent. 

Wu laughed, a dismissive sound. "Oh come now, you can do better than that. He wasn't my boyfriend at the time, if you recall. Is there really a part of you that thinks that's why I did it? Because I wanted Mako? Because I wanted a singing career?" He shook his head. "Oh, Korra. You disappoint me. There were choices ahead of me, difficult choices. The Earth Kingdom was splintering into pieces under Kuvira, despite her dogged belief to the contrary. I had reports from Dai Li agents, from intelligence sources around the kingdom. It was so much more than you can ever even possibly imagine. Being an Avatar is not the same of being a King, believe me. My skill set is completely different." He considered her for a moment and then transformed, shrinking down into a smaller version of himself, silly grin on his face. "You know, gumdrop, most people don't go out of their way to drop rocks on the heads of silly boys who they think they can easily control. Goofy, right? The sillier they think you are, the less threat you are. Wear big hats. Sing with the badgermoles! Get lots of photo shoots! Pay no attention at all to your throne! It's just wacky!" He straightened back up. "I was a foolish boy the same way you were a hotheaded girl. Not all of it was an act. Both of us needed to grow up. But I was never stupid."

"Fine. I'll admit that on that day I wasn't exactly -"

Wu cut her off again with another disdainful flick of his fingers. "Spare me the apologies. I don't need them any longer. And as I said, Mako is an adult man, he can make his own choices. He certainly doesn't need me to make them for him. If he wants to be the butt of your jokes because he thinks that's the only way he can keep your friendship then I won't get in the middle of it. But." Here he leaned forward again. "You might want to think about why it is you do that to him. I've never heard you do it to anyone else. Not Bolin, not Tenzin, and certainly not to your wife. Not even to me, and we've never been all that fond of each other. I'm not sure why it is you go after Mako. He's a good man, Korra. The best I know."

"I know he's a good man! I've known him longer than you, remember? He's an incredible bender, for one thing-"

Wu rolled his eyes. "That's what it always comes down to, isn't it? You benders, you're all the same. Like someone being an accomplished bender has any reflection on whether or not they are a decent person. It's not about him being a good bender. He suffered through things that you and I can only imagine and came out of it a good man. Why can't you respect that about him?"

"I do respect that! And besides, he's not the only one who has gone through shit, you know."

Wu held up a hand. "Don't compare what happened to you to what happened to him. I don't dismiss the things that happened to you, not at all. I know you suffered and I would never try to denigrate that. But you're a princess, Korra, as privileged as I ever was. If you hadn't been the Avatar you'd still be that. You had a home, parents, anything you could ever want, everything money could buy. Training, too, by the best benders in the world. You had the best of everything. And even when the unimaginable happened to you, you still were surrounded by people who loved and cared for you. The best waterhealer in the world was treating you! Mako had no one! He was eight years old, Korra! Eight! The same age San is now! And Bu is the same age that Bolin was. Can you even begin to fathom it? Has he ever told you what happened to his parents?"

"I know they were killed by firebenders. In front of him. He's never really talked about it, though."

Wu sighed. "Well, he's talked about it to me. His mother, and what they did to her..." He took a deep breath. "In any case. That's for Mako to tell you if he chooses, not me. But I can assure you, what that eight year old child went through on that day was every bit as horrific as what you went through at the hands of the Red Lotus. And afterwards all he had was the street and whatever he could steal or scrounge to keep the two of them alive. No one cared for them. No one helped them. You know Bolin. Do I really have to tell you that it was all on Mako's shoulders? He was on his own."

"I know what it's like. I was on my own too for a time, you know."

Wu's look was incredulous. "You were on your own because you chose to be. You chose that! You were an adult woman who had survival training as well as the best bending training in the world. You deliberately broke off communication with the people who loved you as well as the rest of the world to find yourself, or whatever it was you were doing. You are comparing that to an eight year old on the street without friends or family? You could have stopped at any time. You could have gone back to your parents, back to Republic City, back to Zaofu. You could have walked into any village and easily identified yourself as the Avatar and had gotten help. You had those choices available to you."

He broke away from her and began to pace, his voice passionate and his long fingers stabbing towards her in his agitation. "What choices did Mako have? He was a little boy! A schoolboy who had learned only the bare basics of bending from his mother, who had no choices at all. Have you ever heard him complain? Have you ever heard him use it as an excuse? You love to joke that he has no sense of humor. Did it never occur to you that maybe eight year olds who watch their parents being murdered in front of their eyes and who spend the next ten years or so actively trying not to starve, freeze to death, get sold off to pimps or, you know, stabbed in the dark might just possibly lose whatever sense of humor they might have had? He's not made of stone! He has feelings!"

Korra finally looked away. "I know things were rough for him. I get it."

Wu stopped himself and closed his eyes, breathing slowly, trying to regain his composure. "I know things were difficult for you as well. I'm not trying to dismiss any of your experiences, Korra. I'm not trying to make this a competition over who had the worst time. Things weren't exactly easy for me growing up either, although in vastly different ways than either you or Mako experienced. Your own experiences helped to shape you and you were able to take something horrific in your own past and come to terms with it and use it going forward to become a better Avatar, and for that, believe it or not, I do admire you. As the Avatar you have my highest and most sincere appreciation for everything you do. But for whatever reason, you do not treat Mako the way that you treat everyone else and for the life of me I can't understand it. Is it because you dated and that whole thing with Asami? That was fourteen years ago and I would have thought you had let go of it by now."

She swung her gaze up to meet his. "It wasn't Mako's fault. Well, not entirely, all three of us were stupid and screwed that up, not just him. It's all in the past, though. None of that's mattered for years."

Wu reached out a pleading hand. "So why? Why do you do it? He thinks so highly of you. Do you even understand how highly he regards you? He credits you for changing his life, Korra. Why would you make fun of him in front of his children? Why?"

Korra was silent for a time. Mako still couldn't see her face but he could see the dejected slump of her shoulders, see the fury fade slowly out of Wu's eyes. "I don't know. He never seems to mind..." her voice trailed off at Wu's expression.

"Do you know him at all? How can you look at him and think he doesn't mind? Of course he minds. It hurts him, and especially because he thinks the world of you. And it puts him in a terrible position in front of the children."

"Papa! Papa, we're waiting and waiting! Are you coming or not!" Naoki's voice came from the other end of the hallway. "Paaaaaaaaapaaaaaaaa!"

Wu's eyes closed before rolling skywards. "How many times have I told that child not to shout in the house! In any case. All I ask of you is to please be more mindful of what you say in front of the children. I would appreciate it, as would Mako, I am sure. Even if he doesn't know how to say it to you. Now, if you will excuse me, I have promised ice cream and if I don't deliver my children will track dirt into this house looking for me." He nodded at Korra and swept out of the room. Mako quickly darted behind one of the open doors, but Wu was headed the opposite direction and didn't see him.

Korra stood for a few minutes after Wu had gone, her back still towards him. After a time she turned around and left, heading back towards the kitchen, her face thoughtful. Mako lingered for a moment, undecided, before walking down the hall towards the side door. Wu never forgot to get him coconut, but he'd help them carry the ice cream just the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was struck, during Book 4's _Reunion_ episode, how cruel Korra was towards Wu. He was annoying, certainly; however, being kidnapped was not his fault and he had been drugged and was clearly afraid. Her shoving her hand into his face and pushing him away when he tried to join the hug was meant to be funny, but it always struck me as very unlike Korra. She could be blunt and had a temper, for sure, but she had never been cruel. It was mean and out of character, all for a cheap laugh. I never liked it, and especially not for Korra's sake.
> 
> I also never liked it when she made fun of Mako. He was uncomfortable during Book 3; he tried to back out of their mission and she and Bolin dragged him along. He became the butt of many of her jokes and it never sat well with me. He didn't want to take part in their role play about the convict firebender and using airbending to mock and frighten him was a real bullshit move on her part. Maybe it's because I've always headcanoned Mako as being autistic and I'm more than a little tired of the jokes that are made at autistics' expense!


	65. An Ordained Agreement: Lin Meets Qi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin has a discussion with Qi.
> 
> Going waaaaay back in time, here. Back to when Qi first came to work for Wu. Per a request.

Lin stood by the garage door, watching the kid doing something under the hood of Wu's ridiculous yellow car. Up to the elbows in engine grease, wearing a coverall that had come from who knows where, shaggy hair falling over one eye. Qi was the name given and she supposed it was probably the name the kid's mother had bestowed, once upon a time. Thin as all get out. Some people were naturally that way, of course, but she was going on the assumption that this one hadn't seen regular meals for a fuck of a long time, if ever. She'd asked LoLo, Wu's cook - or was it nanny, she wasn't quite clear, and neither was Mako, she'd wager - and he'd told her that the kid wolfed down every meal with gusto. _Nothing but a hungry little slip of a thing,_ LoLo had said, rapidly slicing an onion as he grinned a damned sassy dimple at her, _but you let me handle that._

"Something wrong with the engine?" she asked, and the kid bolted up to stare at her, eyes wide, nostrils flaring. Scared, too, although it was immediately hidden behind bravado.

"I ain't doin' nothin' wrong. Mister said I could do it. You go and ask him. I ain't lyin'." The long chin pointed her way defensively. She'd thought at first that the hoarse voice was faked; a disguise of sorts to match the baggy clothes and hunched over posture that made the kid appear smaller and shorter. The kid never changed it, though; not even when startled. The voice, at least, she was willing to believe was the real deal.

"I never said you were." She uncrossed her arms and took a step or two into the garage, careful not to move too quickly or too close. "I was just wondering if there was a problem. Asami Sato stands by her cars and that's a new one. She'd want to know if something was wrong."

The kid scowled. "Thought I heard it runnin' a bit rough but mebbe not. Thought I'd check it. But I ain't gonna break it, if that's what you're thinkin'."

She nodded. "Well, even if you did I suppose it wouldn't matter. Wu would just buy a new one."  She tilted her head a bit. "He could afford it."

One dirty hand went up on the hip. "If you're askin' if I know he's rich then the answer is yeah. I ain't stupid. He don't live in this big mansion unless he's loaded. And I ain't gonna steal from him neither before you go accusin' me of that. I got my loyalties no matter what you think of me."

Lin raised an eyebrow and grunted an acknowledgement. "So, Qi, is it?" Another step closer.

The scowl deepened. "Yeah. That's my name. What of it? I ain't changed it or nothin'."

"You always this defensive?"

"You always this nosy?"

That actually got a little laugh out of her. "I'm the chief of police. So yes, I am always this nosy."

"Well, I ain't lyin'. It's Qi." The kid took up a wrench and with a sullen glare in her direction started to tinker again, for all intents and purposes ignoring her. She might have been fooled if not for the white knuckles around the wrench itself.

"How old are you?" 

The kid didn't look up. "I'm sixteen." The nostrils flared slightly again and one shoulder hunched up. There was the tell, or else she'd eat her gauntlets.

"Really." It wasn't a question.

The kid wouldn't meet her eyes. "What's it to you?" was muttered, and the wrench was soundly banged on the engine.

"If someone is going to be driving Prince Wu around the city then I consider that person my business. So. I'll ask again. How old are you?"

"I said sixteen!" Up went the chin, the hazel eyes flashing. "You callin' me a liar?"

"Yes," she said, keeping her tone mild. "How old are you really? Thirteen? Fourteen?" The kid stepped back, eyes darting to and fro, hands raised defensively. She sighed. "So which is it, then?"

The kid stared at her, those eyes pleading. "I ain't...I'm a good driver, I ain't gonna crash his car. I been practicin' lots."

"How old, Qi? Don't lie to me, either."

The eyes went glossy with unshed tears. "I...I be fourteen next week. I swear it. I ain't lyin'. I know when my birthday is, I ain't makin' it up."

"Wu's birthday is two weeks from now. Almost the same birthday, then."

The eyes were quickly wiped with fierce jerks on the shoulders of the coverall. "I'm a good driver. I am. You gotta believe me. I won't do nothin' wrong. I'll work real hard."

She sighed again. "So you really think I should let some thirteen year old kid who can barely reach the pedals drive around the former king of the Earth Kingdom?"

The kid stood up taller, revealing a little unused height. Not as tall as she was, but not quite as short as she'd first thought, either. "I be fourteen next week! And I can reach the pedals. I ain't a baby, you know. Been livin' on my own for a long time. I know what I'm doin'."

She stood there for a moment, trying to get the kid's measure. "Fine. Let's go."

"Go? What you talkin' about?"

"In the car. We're going for a drive. You and me. You're driving."

"I...where you wanna go?"

"You know Chin's? By the police station?"

The kid nodded, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Yeah."

"You can drive me there."

The kid's head started to shake back and forth. "I ain't goin' over there. You just gonna arrest me or somethin'."

"No, I'm going to see how well you can drive and then I am going to buy us some lunch. No arresting anyone today. For one thing, it's my day off. For another, if I arrested you I'd never hear the end of it from Wu and that man can nag worse than my grandfather. And my grandfather was one almighty fuck of a nagger, too."

The kid's mouth pursed up, thinking about it. Finally the arms crossed up and over the chest. "I can't go like this. Gotta wash my hands and change out of this thing. I ain't gonna get dirt in his car." 

She nodded her approval. "I'll wait." The hood of the car was slammed down and the kid disappeared up the stairs to the flat above the garage. She wandered about the garage while she waited, peering at the tools the kid had been using. All of them were lined up by height and even the one the kid had been using had been put away; there was no clutter, no mess. The tools had been cleaned as well. Whatever else you wanted to say about this Qi, the kid knew how to keep things tidy. Lin appreciated this about a person. She sat down in the passenger's seat and waited until the kid came back down and started up the car and pulled out, hopping out after putting on the brake to close the garage door before driving out into the street.

The kid was actually a decent driver, which surprised her. Drove a little too fast for her liking; bit of a lead foot, for sure. But the Satomobile was handled well around the corners and that was saying something, seeing as it was a big car and heavy, what with all of the ornamentation and such. She preferred Asami's lighter and sportier models herself. She smiled to herself, sitting in the front seat. For a for a man who had willingly abdicated his throne Wu surely did like to play king around Republic City. 

"Why you smilin'?" Qi's eyes were firmly on the road.

"Hmm? Ah, just thinking about how much Wu still likes to play the King."

"How come he ain't no more? Bein' the king, I mean." Qi's arm shot out of the driver's side window and signaled a left turn.

"Lots of reasons, I suppose, but the political one is that the Earth Kingdom hasn't been stable for years. It was either abdicate and see it into a democracy or sit back and watch it continue to tear itself apart."

"He used to be in the news here lots. In the papers, I mean. I remember his pictures." A very quick flick of Qi's eyes. "I don't mean I read 'em or nothin'...well. You know."

"Don't read?" She kept her voice level. "I don't suppose you would have gotten much of a chance, not on the streets. The only reason Mako reads is because he had gotten in some schooling before his parents died."

"Heard about him some. On the streets, I mean. Didn't realize it was who he was at first. But it's the same Mako who did for that Shizu the Scorpion, ain't it? Stuck him for goin' after his brother?"

Lin nodded. "That was him. He's never spoken about it to me but I figured it out when I first met him, years ago. I am a police officer, after all. Figuring out things is what I do."

"Street rats, we know about it. Guy like The Scorpion, kids gotta stay clear of him. Bad news, them guys. Don't hold with nobody who goes after little kids." Qi pulled into an empty parking space around the corner from the restaurant and met Lin's eyes as the engine was turned off. "It ain't right. Not with little kids. It ain't right."

Lin didn't open her door. "So is that what this is for?" She gestured at Qi's baggy tunic and trousers; clean now, but clearly too big and misshapen. "Is that why you're hiding behind all of those clothes?" She risked a gentle hand on Qi's arm. "You don't need to, you know. You're safe in that house. No one there will come after you that way. I give you my word."

Qi's eyes slid away from her, to focus on the hands that were nervously plucking at the leather of the steering wheel. "It ain't that." Qi's voice was so soft she could barely make it out over the street noise outside the confines of the car. "I don't worry none about the Mister and that husband of his, he don't look at me that way. And that LoLo fellow, he ain't been nothin' but kind to me, clearly sees me as a kid and don't have no interest. But even before, it wasn't like that. It...it ain't that I'm hiding. I just don't..." There was a shrug and Qi's gaze hesitantly met hers. "It don't feel right to me. Not bein' a boy, not being a girl, not bein' either of those things. Sometimes I feel one way and sometimes I don't and it changes for me." Another shrug, and the fingers plucked at the folds in the trousers. "I don't know how to explain it. I ain't tryin' to fool no one, but it don't feel right to say I'm one thing or the other. Not even when I was just a little one."

Lin's hand tightened almost imperceptibly. "Qi, did anyone harm you? When you were little?"

Qi's head shook. "No. I weren't always on the street. I...I don't remember my Mama, but she were a whore and I lived for a time in her house, earnin' my keep." The chin swung up suddenly and Qi's gaze was intense. "But I ain't no whore! I never was. They tried-" Qi's breath sucked in and then went silent, the cheeks going pale.

"They tried to sell you? What happened? Can you tell me?" Her heart was aching. No matter how much she tried to harden herself, when the victims were children she couldn't help but get emotionally involved. Her mother had always told her that it was a failing as a cop; she wasn't so sure about that, though. How the hell could she help but feel for this frightened child next to her?

"They sold me. I was nine. To One-Eyed Chan." The arm was trembling a little under her hand. "But I didn't! I never did! I run away and took up on my own."

Lin quickly did the math in her head and her eyes closed for just a moment before opening again.  "You know, One-Eyed Chan was found dead. Blunt force trauma to the head. There was another man found next to him, dead as well. Someone had stabbed a needle through his eye and what his wife identified as his own pocket knife was stuck in his throat. He worked for the National Republic Bank. We found out as we were investigating the case that he had a thing for kids, so we assumed he'd been there as a customer. Just destroyed his poor wife, I remember. That was about what, four and a half years ago?" Qi's eyes were wide with fear, breaths starting to come in hard and fast. "We never did find out who did it. It happens like that, more often than I'd like it to, sorry to say. There was no one to care about One-Eyed Chan, of course. Plenty of people wanted him dead, he had a lot of enemies. His death was no loss to the world. I always assumed that the banker was in the wrong place at the wrong time. His family never pushed for us to solve the case; they just wanted it kept out of the news and as it was his wife took their children and left Republic City. It's what we call a cold case now." She lightly stroked along Qi's still trembling arm. "By that I mean, I'm certainly not going to provide any more manpower to figure out a nearly five year old cold case of a child pimp and a dead pervert. Case closed and justice served, as far as I am concerned. Sometimes it works out that way."

Qi kept swallowing. "I don't..."

"So no one is going to be investigating that case. It's over. It's done. You understand me?"

Qi nodded, breathing calming down a little.

"And it's not professional of me to say so, but good fucking riddance. There's not a cop in this city that would shed a tear over a dead pimp, Qi, and especially not one that brokered in children. And that includes Mako, by the way. So whomever it was that did it - a rival pimp or a thief or even just a terrified child who was trying to escape - well, they wouldn't need to worry about getting caught. It's a non-issue now."

"Okay." It was whispered.

Lin nodded slowly. "So. Let's get some lunch, then. And after that, I was thinking that I'd take you over to the woman who does my hair. You could use a trim. If you're going to be driving for the former King of the Earth Kingdom then it won't do to be looking like something the owlcat drug in."

Qi's hand reached up to finger the shaggy hair. "A haircut? I ain't...I ain't even ever ate in no restaurant before." The cheeks pinked up a little. "I don't have no good manners. I don't wanna make you sorry you brought me. Don't wanna shame myself neither." That stubborn chin tilted up a little.

Lin's hand moved up to cup Qi's cheek. "Manners can be learned. You just watch me and follow my lead. All right?"

"Okay."

"And Qi, if you ever need anything...well. If you ever need anything that a woman can help you with, you can come to me. I'll help as I can and I won't judge you for it. I've seen too much and done too much myself to ever judge someone else for their choices that don't hurt anyone else. In fact, I admire you for it."

Qi gave her a look so blatantly suspicious that it took everything in her not to laugh. "You admire me?"

"It's not easy to be who you are when the world wants you to be something you aren't. I admire that, yes." She shook her head and took her hand away, smiling. "Don't get used to me being complimentary, though. It's not really my thing. Oh. One more question before we go in. You know how to use a knife? I mean really use one?"

Qi shrugged a little. "Well, a bit. It ain't safe to sleep at night if you on your own if you don't. But I ain't no expert or nothin'." Qi reached around and produced a rough blade from a back pocket, handing it to her. "It did what I needed it to."

She looked it over and then handed it back, nodding. "After your haircut, I'm taking you to meet a woman I know. Wu's former bodyguard. She's just opened up a dojo here in town, she's a former Kyoshi Warrior. I want you to learn how to use knives properly. I'll even buy you your first set."

"How come?" Qi stuck the knife back into the pocket. Lin tried not to wince at the idea of keeping an open blade in a pocket like that.

"There have been assassination attempts on Wu. There might be more. There are a lot of people unhappy with his abdication. If you're going to drive him around, then I want to know that you can defend him if needed."

"You want me to kill anybody that tries hurtin' him." Qi's gaze was sharp.

"Yes."

Qi nodded. "I can do that." Qi leaned forward, soft voice fierce. "I won't let nobody hurt him. Not him. I promise. I might be a street rat, but my promise is good." Qi spat into one hand and held it out to her. With a fierce grin, Lin spat into her own and clasped her hand into Qi's.

"It's settled then. You drive him around, and you learn how to defend him. You do that and you and I are square." She pulled her hand back and nodded. "Come on, let's get some food. Is there something you don't like?"

Qi scoffed and pulled on the door handle. "I ain't never turned down food in my life and I don't reckon I'm gonna start now."

"Then you'll do just fine at Chin's. Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The incident with Mako and Shizu the Scorpion is detailed in Wei's chapter of [Ten Years After The Fall.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3699647/chapters/8356357)


	66. A Fragrant Offering: A Gift For Ikki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Huan gives Ikki a gift.
> 
> This takes place the autumn before [A Song of Spring and Autumn](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4284207/chapters/9703725/) and nearly two years before [I Do Not Ask the Night for Explanations](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5744101/chapters/13236343).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A gift for Marezelle, on her birthday. Thank you, my dearest darling, for all of your thoughtful, encouraging and truly lovely commentary. Yours is a bright star in the velvet sky, indeed.

"Wake up."

Ikki blinked her eyes open, squinting in the gloom at the face hovering over hers. "Nuh huh." She tried to roll over again but Huan moved and straddled her hips, pinning her in place in the bedroll. "Oh, come on." She shut her eyes and faked a large snore.

"You have to wake up." His voice was insistent. She knew that voice. That voice meant that he wouldn't stop bothering her until she did whatever it was he wanted this time. Huan, when he set his mind on something, was the most intractable man on earth. She opened her eyes again and glared up at him, which was wasted, of course. For one, Huan never cared about that sort of thing. For another, there was only a single lantern lit inside their tent and it wasn't shedding much in the way of light.

"Why?" It came out a little more pathetic than she had meant it to.

"I have to take you somewhere."

"Okay. But how about we do it later, what do you say?"

"No, now."

"Huan!" She struggled to sit up, and he moved backwards to allow her. "It's not even light out yet. Can't it wait?"

"No." He was already dressed, hair swept back into its usual quick twist atop his head with his silver hairsticks. "I made you some tea. Hurry up and get ready."

"Ready for what, exactly?" She kicked at him from her bedroll and he moved, pulling himself up to pour some tea from their copper kettle into one of the battered tin cups.

"For what I have to show you."

She sighed, loudly, and stuck her tongue out at his back. "How long have you been awake?" She shifted herself up with a dramatic groan.

"Long enough to make a fire and some tea. There's some breakfast, too. But you have to hurry up and eat it. Or we can take it with us."

She stopped in the midst of pulling off the old worn tunic of his that she used to sleep in. "Wait wait wait. What is this _with us_ business? Are we supposed to get going? Are we leaving?"

"No, we don't have to leave. Just go somewhere this morning. Blue can stay here." He frowned at her. "Hurry up! You're too slow!"

She leaned forward into the circle of illumination from the lantern to scowl at him. "Do you see this face? This is my _Ikki has been woken up far too early and isn't happy about it_ face."

"That just looks like all of your annoyed faces. Hurry up." He waved the cup at her impatiently.

She yanked off the tunic, automatically bending to ward away the slight chill in the air. Autumn was upon them, and the nights were starting to get cold. She'd manage, but they'd need to head south fairly soon if they didn't want Huan to freeze. Their tent wasn't meant to withstand late autumn, never mind winter. They'd talked about going to explore the southeastern countries of the former Earth Kingdom, but as much as she'd like to ignore the political situation in the world there was just no way she could pretend that things were stable there. They weren't; there was a lot of guerrilla-type fighting going on and it wouldn't be safe for them. The last time they'd visited Republic City she'd said something about it when they were having dinner with Mako and Wu and Wu had made Huan promise they wouldn't go anywhere near them. She knew better than to even suggest it, Huan would never go back on a promise he'd made to Wu. Not to mention she was fairly certain that if Korra caught wind of it she'd find them, wherever they were, and kick her ass up and down for even attempting it. As she pulled on her wingsuit she frowned, thinking. "What about the Foggy Swamp?"

"What about it?" Huan had her bracelets hooked over two of his fingers and she took them back and fastened them over her wrists before taking the cup from his other hand and swallowing a large gulp of tea.

"We could head down there next. It stays warm down there. It's getting cold up here." She downed the rest of the tea and grabbed her brush to run it quickly through her hair.

"Okay. Maybe. We can talk about it later. Not now, though. Now we have to go. We're going to be late."

"Late for what?" He didn't answer her, though, just took a cold rice ball and pressed it into her hand. 

"Come on," he said, and opened up the flap of the tent, pointing her outside before dousing the flame in the lantern. She could see he'd already banked their campfire. "Blue, we're going somewhere but we'll be back later, don't worry." Blue opened one eye and whuffed gently before letting it slide shut again. Well. Blue at least got to sleep in. Lucky, lucky Blue. "You can eat as we go." He reached an arm out and wrapped it around her waist. "I'll take us."

She crammed the rice ball into her mouth before leaning back against him and putting her feet on top of his bare feet. He wrapped his other arm around her and began to bend, the ground skimming past effortlessly beneath them. She wasn't worried; it was still dark out but Huan was always sure of himself once he had his feet on the ground. He didn't need to see to bend. She'd only met his grandmother for such a short time, but she remembered her clearly; her dirty toes pressed into the rock of her cave, sightless eyes always turned in just the slightly wrong direction. It was Toph who had taught Huan to bend, and like his grandmother he relied on what he was sensing throughout his body to shift the earth around him. She closed her own eyes and let her head rest against his cheek, the wind stirred up by their rapid movement pushing her hair back into him. She knew he didn't want her, not the way she wanted him, but when he held her like this she could pretend that his arms were wrapped around her with desire, not just to keep hold of her so she wouldn't fall.

"Almost there," he said into her ear, and she fought back the disappointment that she'd be leaving his embrace so soon. She remembered the rice in her mouth and automatically chewed, telling herself, once again, that she wasn't going to cry over this. She wouldn't cry. They were friends and they loved each other. It had to be enough.

Huan brought them to a gentle stop and she slid herself off of his feet. His arms lingered around her waist for a moment before pulling away. "The sun will come up soon," he said, and she looked towards the sky. It was already lightening, a murky gloom compared to the velvet black back at camp. 

"Are you cold?" she asked, and felt rather than saw him shrug.

"It's okay," he said. He didn't move away from her and she risked inching herself a little closer. He remained where he was, so she moved a bit more until her hip pressed slightly into him.

"Are we going to be here forever?" she asked and was rewarded with a little huff of amusement.

"Impatient Ikki. Just a little longer."

"This better be good," she warned, and was startled by his finger pressing gently against her lips.

"Shh," he breathed. "It's coming now." He left his finger there as the first streak of rose shot across the sky, followed by shades of lighter pink and orange. Dawn was was flying towards them; she tilted her head slightly as birdsong began to warble through the trees, grinning to hear them wake and start their own busy day. Huan's hand slipped down from her mouth to wrap around her shoulder and pull her closer and she relished the feel of him, thin and corded with muscle, so solid and alive as she let her body mold slightly into his. They watched together as the sky filled with color, the sun threatening to peek above the horizon at any given moment. Just as the first sliver of it trembled above the trees, Huan spun her around. "Now!" he said and she sucked in a deep gasp.

The first rays of the sun spilled out across the glade in front of them, beaming light through the trees and dissipating the early morning mist. Gold bathed an entire sea of wild roses, their nearly translucent color gilded bright as the sun continued to rise over the trees. Ikki brought both of her hands to her mouth, her eyes filling up with tears.

"Huan. Oh, Huan." She reached out one joyful hand. "It's so beautiful. Oh." He took her outstretched hand in his and led her into a natural break in the bushes, the burgeoning dawn sunlight burnishing the cinnamon highlights in his black hair. She unconsciously bent the slightly spicy fragrance that hung in the air around them both and felt his fingers in her own hair, tucking a bloom behind her ear. She plucked it out to examine it; the full blossom shaded from a warm cream into a very pale pink at the edges, petals unfurling with droplets of morning dew.

"They won't last when the frost comes," he said, and those long brown fingers wrapped around her hands to bring the rose closer to her nose. She sniffed at it and a little sigh of pleasure escaped her.

"How did you find this?" she asked, looking around the glade, and she heard the smile in his voice.

"I was looking for firewood and I got distracted. Do you like it?" He took the blossom out of her hands and tucked it back into her hair.

"Like it?" She turned to meet his eyes. "Oh, Huan, I love it. I don't think I have ever seen anything so gorgeous in my life." She moved herself a little further into the glade, fingers trailing softly across the blossoms, smiling.

The birds continued to sing as she made her way through the glade, careful not to snag her wingsuit on any thorns. As the mist burned off she observed a spider, busy at her web; a little further in and a field mouse scuttled its quick way back to its home. She startled a jackalope and it hopped quickly away into the forest area, followed by her laughter. At some point Huan had sat cross-legged on the ground and he was watching her explore with a slight smile, his body still in a way that was rare for him, relaxed and at peace. Ignoring a few prickly scratches she picked enough roses to make the two of them flower crowns, and she got one of his real smiles, the kind that showed his teeth, when she placed his upon his head before throwing herself onto the damp grass next to him.

"I'm so glad you brought me. Thank you, Huan. Thank you so much." She rolled over onto her back to smile up at him. He smiled back.

"Happy birthday, Ikki."

Her eyes widened. "Is it? Wait! Today?"

That got her a little laugh. "Yes. Today. You are twenty-one today. I didn't forget." He tapped the side of his head. "Happy birthday to you."

She couldn't stop smiling. "This is the nicest present anyone has ever gotten me."

He ducked his head shyly, pleased. "Really? Or do you just say it to make me happy?"

She sat up and took his hands into hers. "Really and truly. You knew exactly what I would like. I'll never forget this. Never."

A sly look up from his bowed head. "Am I forgiven for waking you up, then?"

She laughed and threw her arms around him for a hug, happily surprised when he returned it. "Oh yes. All is forgiven. Am I forgiven for being so grouchy?"

"If early morning Ikki bothered me too much then I'd have gone back to Zaofu years ago." At her faux-indignant poke he chuckled, the rich sound of it making her laugh back at him.

They spent the morning there, Ikki exploring and gathering together an armful of blooms to take back with her to dry. She thought she could make a nice potpourri of them, something that would cut into Blue's usual wet fur musk. Huan mostly watched her, content to sit with that same little smile on his face. When they got back to camp she found that he'd also bought her some of the rice candy she adored, hiding it inside his pack so she wouldn't ferret it out. She ate the chewy sweetness next to their fire while he cleaned up after their dinner, singing all of her favorite songs to her and amusing her by making shapes of all the things they'd seen that day with the chunk of meteorite he always kept in his pocket. As they settled into their bedrolls she breathed in deeply the smell of the roses.

"Thank you. For such a wonderful day." She closed her eyes in the darkness.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it."

"Huan?"

"Yes?"

"I'm so glad you're here with me."

A pause. "I'm glad too," he said softly. She snuggled deeper into her bedroll and smiled.


End file.
